Southbound was the album that made jazz great
Ben Sidran take notice of the young
Charlie Wood.
Wood, who was already establishing himself as one of Memphis' most respected blues organists, self-produced the disc in 1995, two years before Sidran brought it to international release on Go Jazz. Even at a concise ten tracks,
Southbound did more than just announce the presence of a master Hammond B-3 player; it revealed
Wood as a versatile bandleader capable of tackling tricky New Orleans funk ("Man on the Money"), torchy jazz in the style of Charles Brown ("After All"), and even sweet Motown soul ("Lucky Charm") in addition to the standard bluesy shuffles usually purveyed by the instrument's followers. Evidence of Wood's irony-laden lyrical style pops up on occasion -- earthy tunes like "It All and Everything" and "River of Jive" are a precursor to the kind of material he would fill an entire album with on
Who I Am -- but for the most part, it's the performances themselves that are the heart and soul of
Southbound. Punchy horn fills from Jim Spake and Fred Ford keep things exciting, and
Wood's understated vocals (which vaguely recall
Donald Fagen circa mid-period
Steely Dan) sound fresh throughout. ~ Kenneth Bays