After more than thirty years of live performances, many of which were captured on video, Ezra Charles has been praised for constantly “re-inventing” himself. Despite the changes in image and style, his body of work is remarkably constant in one characteristic: the songs remained unchanged.

Different groups of musicians contributed their talents as he continued to add to the repertoire, leaving behind a substantial collection of tunes and arrangements. A fan poll in 1995 that asked, “What is your favorite Ezra Charles song?” resulted in 19 songs getting a vote in that category.

Remarkably, this was before about half of his eventual catalog was created! Here are some samples of performances, most of which are still being revisited in his live shows.