Charlie Wood

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Born: August 31, 1967 Primary Instrument: Organ, Hammond B3

Charlie Wood is a talented and versatile singer, songwriter and keyboardist whose eclectic musical style ranges from blues to jazz to r&b and all points in between. Born in Memphis, TN in 1967, Charlie studied classical piano from an early age and jazz piano in high school and college. He spent 1990 on the road as keyboardist for legendary blues guitarist Albert King, with whom he toured the U.S. and Europe. He has also performed and recorded with numerous other regional and national acts, has worked as composer and musical director for local theatre groups and independent filmmakers, and has played and sung on countless jingles and album projects.

For over fifteen years the Charlie Wood Trio - consisting of Charlie on piano, Hammond B-3, pedal bass and vocals, Renardo Ward on drums, and Gerard Harris (formerly of Kool and the Gang) on guitar - performed nightly at the King's Palace Café on Beale Street. During their tenure at the Palace such musical luminaries as B.B. King, George Coleman, Joey DeFrancesco, Alvin Batiste, Tony Reedus, Rufus Thomas, Georgie Fame and many others stopped by to sit in and play with the band. On a recent tour in England, Robert Plant joined Charlie onstage to sing five or six of his favorite Memphis r&b classics.

Charlie's work has earned him numerous musical accolades, including the N.A.R.A.S. “Premier Player Award” for Keyboards and the Beale St. Merchants' Association “Entertainer of the Year” award. He has toured extensively in Europe and the U.K. to promote his original music and has performed on television and radio programs across the continent. Wood is also an accomplished songwriter with two original CDs, Southbound and Who I Am, produced by Daddy-O Records (and currently in release on Ben Sidran's GoJazz label) and a third original CD, Somethin' Else, released on Daddy-O Records on August 31, 2005.

The local Memphis daily, The Commercial Appeal, featured Charlie on the cover of their Playbook entertainment guide in February '98, along with a page one article about the Charlie Wood Trio on Beale Street. The paper had already published a feature article on Charlie and his music when he was just seventeen years old, calling him “ten different people in one.” Bill Ellis (music reviewer for the C.A.) began his October '96 review of Southbound by saying simply, “Jazz organ has a name in Memphis, and it's Charlie Wood.”

Last Updated: April 29, 2008

2007: Charlie Wood and the New Memphis Underground- Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Bass, Drums, Engineer, Producer, Songwriter, Horn Arrangements)
2007: Live In London- Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Keyboards, Songwriter)
2006: Lucky - Charlie Wood (Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clavinet, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Backing Vocals, Engineer, Producer, Songwriter)
2006: Southern Living - the Billy Gibson Band (Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Engineer, Songwriter)
2006: Bluestones - the Daddy Mac Blues Band (Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes)
2006: The Touch - Robert A. Johnson (Hammond B-3)
2006: Kevin Sheahan - Kevin Sheahan (Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Engineer)
2006: Continuator - the Gamble Brothers Band (Fender Rhodes, Pre-Production Assistance)
2005: Somethin' Else - Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Piano, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Engineer, Producer, Songwriter, Horn Arrangements)
2005: Resting Place - Terry Robb (Piano)
2005: New Born - Calvin Newborn (Hammond B-3)
2005: Fried Glass Onions: Memphis Meets the Beatles - Various Artists (Guitar, Drums, Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer, Pedal Bass, Vocals, Producer, Engineer)
2005: Billy Gibson Band - The Billy Gibson Band (Hammond B-3, Piano, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Backing Vocals, Engineer, Production Assistance)
2005: Art of the Motorcycle: Songs of the Open Road - Various Artists (Hammond B-3, Pedal Bass, Engineer)
2004: Azul - Azul (Hamond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet)
2004: Jamie Baker - Jamie Baker (Hammond B-3)
2004: In a Memphis Tone - Billy Gibson (Hammond B-3, Piano)
2003: Live from Cell Block D - Tracy Nelson (Hammond B-3, Piano)
2003: Neptune's Army - Ed Finney (Engineer)
2002: Pra Sempre - Chris Wells (Hammond B-3, Piano, Fender Rhodes)
2002: R&B-3 - Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Pedal Bass, Drums, Producer, Engineer)
2001: Instrumental Memphis Music Sampler - Various Artists (Hammond B-3, Producer)
2001: Go Jazz Artists: the Anniversary Edition - Various Artists (Performer)
2000: Who I Am - Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Piano, Producer, Songwriter)
2000: Third Verse - Smalltown Poets (Hammond B-3, Accordion)
2000: Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today - Slobberbone (Accordion, Hammond B-3, Toy Piano)
1999: You Can't Win - Mason Ruffner (Piano)
1998: These Modern Nights - Kitchens & Bathrooms (Hammond B-3)
1996: Southbound - Charlie Wood (Vocals, Hammond B-3, Piano, Producer, Songwriter, Horn Arrangements)
1996: Never Never Land - Joseph Patrick Moore (Hammond B-3)

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