The first thing you’ll ask yourself after listening to Chizmo Charles’s CD Up All Night is “Where has this guy been?”

Charles Anderson (AKA Chizmo Charles) made his solo recording debut at the tender age of 70.  This CD covers many different styles:  R&B, Urban Blues, Jump Blues, and Swing.  Charles handles them all masterfully with his soulful pipes.

All twelve cuts are great, but the highlights are “Bed Bug Boogie”, “Bad Bad Whiskey, and a decidedly different take on “Shake Your Moneymaker”.  Along the way, he gets sympathetic backing from James Dougherty on guitar, Dr. James Johnson on piano, and the Midnight Horns.  The liner notes read that Charles has been singing for over half of his 70 years.    (Blues Leaf Records)