The blues of Charles Brown is urbane and stylish and sad, and jazzy in its intelligence. It seduces and enchants. It is a saxophone. In a nightclub. Two hours before dawn, and two drinks too many, but too tired to care.

There is much melancholy in Charles Brown's blues, but it is a polite melancholy, the kind that comes with a weary smile under downcast eyes. Yes, yes, I am down ...but please, don't let my problems trouble you ...

His blues is not coarse or messy or angry. He kno...