Clarence Carter

Not as blues-oriented as some might think, Touch of Blues focuses primarily on the thing Clarence Carter had been known for since the 1960s: earthy, unpretentious southern-style soul music. To be sure, the CD does contain more 12-bar blues material than Carter usually embraced, including "It's a Man Down There" and heartfelt versions of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" and B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby." But R&B is dominant, and Carter's followers (a great many of them in the south) were quite receptive to such good-humored, lighthearted soul as "Why Do I Stay Here (And Take This Shit From You)" and the risqué "Kiss You All Over." One medium that wasn't at all receptive to Touch of Blues was urban contemporary radio, which has pretty much ignored Carter's Ichiban recordings. But thankfully, Carter has enough of a following to do OK without urban radio's support. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide