Ezra Charles

Who is Ezra Charles?

Ezra Charles is the stage name of Charles Helpinstill, the American founder of the company of the same name which makes portable amplified pianos for stage performance.

Charles performs jump blues music with his group Ezra Charles' Texas Blues Band in and around the Houston area. His group is unusual as it does not employ an upright or electric bass. Instead, Charles plays the bass notes via a MIDI device in his piano, which produces a bass note for every piano key played below the "E" below middle "C". In addition to Charles' piano/bass, the group contains a guitar, drums, and a three-piece horn section.

Hailing from Beaumont, Texas, Charles is the author of a song called "Beaumont Boys", which paid homage to many of the musicians from his hometown, including The Big Bopper, Johnny and Edgar Winter, and Harry James.

Charles is known for his lively stage show, which often features his piano catching fire during particularly "heated" performances.