From the mid-1940s to the late '50s, the R&B Top Ten charts read like a Charles Brown discography: between Brown's recordings with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers and those under his own name, this suave and soulful pianist and vocalist was a pioneer of the West Coast sound of Rhythm and Blues. More gutsy than his contemporary Nat "King" Cole, like Cole Brown was a foremost exponent of what might be called "cocktail blues," a sophisticated mix of impassioned vocals and elegant, bluesy piano. With tunes like "Driftin' Blues," "Black Night," and his Christmas perennials "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Merry Christmas Baby," Brown became a legend in his own time. But this legend is still going strong, with a distinctive, wispy baritone and Art Tatum-inspired piano jazz; now in his sixties, Brown, a resident of Berkeley, is only semi-retired. "The freshness, tenderness and grace of a contemporary Charles Brown performance attests to his original impact and present musical mastery. As a blues poet, hitmaker and style setter, Brown is a unique performer, a solid pro..." (Greg Drust). That Rhythm, Those Blues "We brought the relief: that's what that music was about," reminisces singer Ruth Brown, who along with Charles Brown is featured in this documentary look at the beginnings of Rhythm and Blues. The history of this uniquely American music form is traced through the artists' words and archival photos, back to the segregated barns and the small southern towns, the one-night stands and the bad times that became good times on stage, when the music took over. When R&B was discovered by white audiences, pioneers like the incredibly influential Charles Brown were overlooked; as their hits were covered by white bands, their own stars fell. Both Charles Brown and Ruth Brown continued to work through the fifties and up to the present, but the advent of "rock'n'roll" took its toll: "I wasn't a soul singer then," Ruth Brown says drily, "but I am now."