Charlie Rich
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Pictures and Paintings (Sire) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)1/2
If you only know Charlie Rich for his early `70s lounge lizard hits ”The Most Beautiful Girl” and ”Behind Closed Doors,” ”Pictures and Paintings” will give you a dramatically new perspective on the ”Silver Fox.” Here the pianist-vocalist reaches way back to his jazz and blues roots, predating even his rock `n` roll days at Sun Records in the `50s. Rich effortlessly switches between styles, ranging from the gutbucket blues of ”Juice Head Baby” to the uptown sophistication of ”Mood Indigo” and ”Am I Blue?” His soulful yet unmannered vocals lend a timeless quality to both the title song and a jazz samba remake of his ”Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High),” while he demonstrates a surprising fluency as a jazz and blues instrumentalist throughout.
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