Customer Reviews

The Genius of Ray Charles [Vinyl]

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Ray Charles passed away today and the reason everybody is talking about him as the creator of soul music is because no other musician did more to develop the form. There is no argument that other singers, such as Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, were influential in pioneering soul music but it was Ray Charles who merged 1950's R&B with gospel-powered vocals into a new form of black pop music. This 1959 album produced by Atlantic Records lives up to its title, but you have to remember that this was originally a record album. That is not because "The Genius of Ray Charles" sounds old but because there are clearly two distinct sides to the album.

The "A" side has the Ray Charles band being complemented by members of the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington (such as David "Fathead" Newman and Paul Gonsalves on tenor sax and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet) playing a half-dozen songs arranged by Quincy Jones. "It Had to Be You" and the old Irving Berlin standard "Alexander's Ragtime Band" are the most familiar songs, but the two best on the first half of the album are "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Deed I Do."

The "B" side consists of six ballads, arranged by Ralph Burns with the backing of a string orchestra. The two standout tracks here are "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" and the final track, the truly outstanding version of Mercer & Arlen's "Come Rain or Come Shine." With all the orchestration Charles' piano playing is lost in the mix but what stands out is his voice. In terms of the vocal phrasing he displays on these ballads this is really a breakthrough album in terms of the singing.

How good is "The Genius of Ray Charles"? Well, listen to the classic saloon songs of Frank Sinatra's 1958 album "Only the Lonely," and Charles doing "Come Rain or Come Shine" does not suffer in comparison. Of course the fact that Ray Charles was that good is not news to anybody who loved listening to that man sing for almost fifty years. There are lots of hit collections that you can pick up to honor his memory, but there is something to be said for complete albums and in that regard "The Genius of Ray Charles" would be on anyone's short list.

BUYER BEWARE: To date (June 2008), this is the only review for this particular product. The other reviews pasted in here by Amazon refer to the original version of this CD. If you want to spend more for an inferior product, then by all means, purchase this !

This is vintage Ray Charles, recorded at age 27. The music itself gets 5 stars for sure. It's clearly oriented toward the jazz/blues side of things, rather than Ray's better known R & B side. The first 6 songs are big band arrangements, with a nice variety of tempos (including a couple of wonderful ballads). The last 6 songs are all ballads, with simple, but lush orchestral arrangements with strings and background vocals. Naturally, Ray's vocals are featured throughout, and he's in top form. I love most of these songs, especially the ballads.

I've owned the original 1990 Atlantic CD for several years, but always thought the album could really benefit from re-mastering. Thus, I ordered this 2005 import, which turned out to be in the Atlantic Masters series (made in Europe). I own a few other CDs in this series, and have been quite pleased with the audio quality. I WISH I could say the same about this one, but IT AIN'T SO. While there IS improved detail and clarity, some of the dynamics and warmth has somehow been lost. Overall, I like the original CD version better than this new one. Hopefully someday this classic recording will undergo a better re-mastering.

This album boldly declares Ray Charles' genius. I've never heard anybody argue with the appelation. When this came out, he was established as a brilliant R&B singer, songwriter and performer. Here he hooks up (on what was side one) with an all-star jazz big band, featuring players from both Basie and Ellington, to make music that is hard to categorize as anything other than Ray. His piano envelopes the whole group in his R&B style, so while it's a lot of jazz players displaying their jazz chops, the result is something else. Then, on what was side 2, he takes another turn, playing with a small combo and a huge orchestra--pointing the way, with cuts like "You Won't Let Me Go" toward his brilliant take on country & western, and toward his (recently-unearthed) collaboration with Jimmy Scott on his timeless version of "Come Rain or Come Shine."

You can't really review this album, because it puts to shame all the other 5-star ratings I've given on Amazon. Every cut on here is a classic, a pathbreaker, a rich emotional experience, and a swinging time will be had by all.

Several great musical traditions flow through this album. How many albums have songs by Percy Mayfield as well as Irving Berlin, or big band arrangements by Quincy Jones as well as strings arranged by Ralph Burns? Nobody could bring it all together like Ray Charles; in his hands, it's all just great American music.

C'mon - you won't find a better renedering of these standards anywhere than by the greatest ever, Ray Charles. Perfect for an introduction to the artist or as a way to see him capture his smoother side after he invented soul music.

At the age of 27, Ray Charles had already put out a half-dozen albums of superlative Fifties R 'n' B - but it was time for him and Atlantic Records to make a change - and the February 1960 release of "The Genius Of..." was the result.

An LP full of covers, the 6 tracks on Side 1 made up the blasters and dancers from Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll" through to "Deed I Do", while the 6 tracks of Side 2 were the romantic ballads and standards. The famed BILL SHWARTAU and TOM DOWD filled in as engineers, while the strings were beautifully arranged by RALPH BURNS - QUINCY JONES doing much of the brass parts.

Personally I find some of the brass on Side 1 a bit too harsh to listen to now - but the lush music of Side 2 is a whole different ballgame. Side 2 contains three genuine masterpieces "Just For A Thrill", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'" and the stunning album finisher "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (lyrics above). The remaster brings out all the instruments involved and is just `so' sweet - a really great job done.

The CD comes in a card digipak with a foldout 10-page inlay, which contains a new essay on the album by noted soul writer CHARLES WARING followed by the album's original liner notes by NAT HENTOFF. Detailed production credits are on the rear of the digipak and this 2005 remaster is part of the massively extensive "Atlantic Masters" series - there are other Charles titles in that series (see comprehensive list below).

"The Genius Of Ray Charles" was recognized as a gem then and still is now. Recommended - big time.

Other remastered albums in the 'Atlantic Masters' CD Series are:
1. Your Mind Is On Vacation - MOSE ALLISON (1976)
2. Daddy Bug (& Friends) - ROY AYERS (1967)
3. Stoned Soul Picnic - ROY AYERS (1968)
4. Virgo Vibes - ROY AYERS (1967)
5. Experience And Judgment - ANDY BEY (1970)
6. Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk - ART BLAKEY and THELONIOUS MONK (1958)
7. Bad For Me - DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER (1979)
8. Just Family - DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER (1977)
9. Fresh - OSCAR BROWN, JR. (1975)
10. Movin' On - OSCAR BROWN, JR. (1972)
11. Thank You For F.U.M.L (Funking Up My Life) - DONALD BYRD (1978)
12. Fire On Ice - TERRY CALLIER (1978)
13. Turn You To Love - TERRY CALLIER (1979)
14. The Great American Songbook - CARMEN McRAE (1972 Live Set)
15. Hallelujah I Love Her So - RAY CHARLES (1962)
16. The Genius After Hours - RAY CHARLES (1961)
17. The Genius Of Ray Charles - RAY CHARLES (1960)
18. The Genius Sings The Blues - RAY CHARLES (1961)
19. Crosswinds - BILLY COBHAM (1974)
20. Spectrum - BILLY COBHAM (1973)
21. Total Eclipse - BILLY COBHAM (1974)
22. Change Of The Century - ORNETTE COLEMAN (1959)
23. The Shape Of Jazz To Come - ORNETTE COLEMAN (1959)
24. This Is Our Music - THE ORNETTE COLEMAN QUARTET (1960)
25. Twins - ORNETTE COLEMAN (1959)
26. Free Jazz - A Collective Improvisation - ORNETTE COLEMAN DOUBLE QUARTET (1960)
27. Eternity - ALICE COLTRANE (1975)
28. Radha Krsna Nama Sankirtana - ALICE COLTRANE (1976)
29. Transcendence - ALICE COLTRANE (1977)
30. Transfiguration - ALICE COLTRANE (1978 Live Set)
31. Giant Steps - JOHN COLTRANE (1959)
32. Olé Coltrane - JOHN COLTRANE (1961)
33. Chris Craft - CHRIS CONNOR (1958)
34. Amandla - MILES DAVIS (1989)
35. Doo Bop - MILES DAVIS (1991)
36. Live Around The World - MILES DAVIS (1988 Live Set)
37. Tutu - MILES DAVIS (1986)
38. The Sounds Of '66 - SAMMY DAVIS JR., and BUDDY RICH (1966)
39. Love Island - EUMIR DEODATO (1978)
40. New Orleans Suite - DUKE ELLINGTON (1970)
41. The Paris Concert, Edition 1 - BILL EVANS (1979 Live Set)
42. The Paris Concert, Edition 2 - BILL EVANS (1979 Live Set)
43. You Must Believe In Spring - BILL EVANS (1981)
44. People Get Ready - THE FREEDOM SOUNDS [featuring Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders] (1967)
45. Nightingale - GILBERTO GIL (1979)
46. Nomad - CHICO HAMILTON (1979)
47. Crossings - HERBIE HANCOCK (1972)
48. Fat Albert Rotunda - HERBIE HANCOCK (1970)
49. Mwandishi - HERBIE HANCOCK (1971)
50. Instant Death - EDDIE HARRIS (1971)
51. !Salud! Joao Gilberto - JON HENDRICKS (1963)
52. A Soul Experiment - FREDDIE HUBBARD (1969)
53. Backlash - FREDDIE HUBBARD (1966)
54. Sing Me A Song Of Songmy - FREDDIE HUBBARD (1971)
55. Bags & Trane - MILT JACKSON and JOHN COLTRANE (1959)
56. Birth - KEITH JARRETT (1971)
57. A Certain Mr. Jobim - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1967)
58. Love Strings & Jobim - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1966)
59. Terra Brasilis - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1980)
60. The Wonderful World Of - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1965)
61. Urubu - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1976)
62. A Meeting Of The Times - RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK/AL HIBBLER (1972)
63. The Case Of The 3-Sided Dream In Audio Colour - RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK (1975)
64. The Inflated Tear - RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK (1967)
65. Inside Hi-Fi - LEE KONITZ (1956)
66. The Blue Yusef Lateef - YUSEF LATEEF (1968)
67. The Diverse Yusef Lateef - YUSEF LATEEF (1970)
68. At The Village Gate - HERBIE MANN (1961 Live Set)
69. Memphis Underground - HERBIE MANN (1969)
70. The Common Ground - HERBIE MANN (1960)
71. Daktari - SHELLY MANNE (1967)
72. Hustle To Survive - LES McCANN (1975)
73. A Change Is Gonna Come - BROTHER JACK McDUFF (1966)
74. Tobacco Road - BROTHER JACK McDUFF (1966)
75. Double-Barrelled Soul - BROTHER JACK McDUFF /DAVID NEWMAN (1967)
76. Suddenly - MARCUS MILLER (1983)
77. Blues And Roots - CHARLES MINGUS (1959)
78. Me Myself An Eye - CHARLES MINGUS (1978)
79. Pithecanthropus Erectus - CHARLES MINGUS (1956)
80. Tonight At Noon - CHARLES MINGUS (1957)
81. Blues On Bach - THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1973)
82. Fontessa - THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1956)
83. Pyramid - THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1959)
84. The Sheriff - THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1963)
85. I'm Fine, How Are You? - AIRTO MOREIRA (1977)
86. Latin Bugalu - CHARLIE PALMIERI (1968)
87. Invitation - JACO PASTORIOUS (1983)
88. The Birthday Concert - JACO PASTORIOUS (1981)
89. Word Of Mouth - JACO PASTORIOUS (1981)
90. Jazz For The Jet Set - DAVE PIKE (1965)
91. Carry On - FLORA PURIM (1979)
92. Members, Don't Git Weary - MAX ROACH (1968)
93. Mongo '70 - MONGO SANTAMARIA (1970)
94. The Source - JIMMY SCOTT (1970)
95. Flight Path - SPHERE (1983)
96. Four In One - SPHERE (1982)
97. Come Morning - GROVER WASHINGTON, JR. (1981)
98. Paradise - GROVER WASHINGTON, JR. (1979)
99. Winelight - GROVER WASHINGTON, JR. (1980)

I didn't know what to think when I first heard this record. Pero Como it wasn't. Not Frank Sinatra either. That's the kind of stuff my mother listen too, the kind of 78s she had in the house. My dad, he and my mother were divorced, had different stuff at his house and he'd bring by stuff he thought I might like and this is one of the things he thought I should hear. He knew then Ray Charles was going to be a star.

The band playing on "Let the Good Times Roll," I didn't like. It seemed like it was trying to crush this incredible voice. But they let Ray shine on "It Had to Be You." I thought the band was torturous on Two Years of Torture, but not Ray's voice.

"Just for a Thrill," is so damned good, it's hard to describe. "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" is better and after a couple dozen listens all those years ago, I stopped hearing the band, hearing only the pure sound of Ray Charles. I'm older now and I can appreciated the big band and now I know what I didn't know then, that band goes great with his voice. This is Ray Charles when he was young. He was great. He got better.

This Record is Number 4 on my list of the Best Thirteen Records of 1959.

The Genius of Ray Charles is an excellent album that thankfully made its way to CD form. Ray Charles was one of the greatest entertainers ever; and the songs on this CD prove it. He was a masterful piano player, a saxophonist and he sang very well. There wasn't any specific Ray Charles style of music, either--like a true entertainer, he could turn out very high quality control country music, jazz, big band tunes or blues. He could read and write music in Braille; his lack of sight didn't slow him down one bit. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and I love that artwork.

The album starts with "Let the Good Times Roll." Ray bats this straight out of the ballpark and that music fits in perfectly with Ray's vocalizing. Indeed, that music was really, really fine--it features Ray's band teaming up with the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Quincy Jones made some terrific arrangements, too. "It Had to be You" has a big band arrangement that works wonders for this tune; Ray sings with so much genuine emotion it stuns me with its beauty. I simply have never heard a better rendition of "It Had to be You;" Ray corners the market on this tune. Similarly, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" shines brighter than silver and gold combined when these fine artists handle it like the pros they were and always will be! I really like the music on "Alexander's Ragtime Band."

"When Your Lover Has Gone" gets a most sensitive treatment from Ray Charles, who sings and plays piano on this without a superfluous note! The brass sounds great in the musical arrangement and "When Your Lover Has Gone" lacks nothing--this music is all THAT good. "Deed I Do" is another superb tune that gets the royal treatment from Ray and the gang; and we enjoy the benefits!

The remaining six songs are arranged by Ralph Burns who certainly knows his territory. "Just for a Thrill" uses the strings well and Ray's piano playing is quite good. Ray's voice is clear and strong; and that's all right by me! Ray is squarely in the spotlight and I have no complaints about that. "You Won't Let Me Go" features Ray's singing and piano playing although the strings could have been somewhat more muted--but make no mistake about it, this is still Ray's song and he delivers it with panache.

"Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" charms me with its beauty; this gets a wonderful treatment and the backup vocalists harmonize flawlessly. Ray sings this to perfection--and beyond! His piano playing, of course, leaves nothing to be desired. "Am I Blue" is an old standard which I first heard sung by Ethel Waters; but I think Ethel would be proud of Ray's rendition here! "Am I Blue" is a huge highlight of this album; it's classic blues done right. The CD ends strong with Ray and the musicians performing "Come Rain or Come Shine." I've heard many renditions of this tune and I think this one is terrific. They play just a little bit with the keys and the tempos to put their own stamp on this ballad and it all holds its own very well.

The Genius of Ray Charles certainly is a must-have for his fans; it's truly one of his best albums. I'm glad this made it to CD! This is equally good as a starter CD for people just discovering the magical talent of the immortal Ray Charles.

I can't really say more than I am so happy with this CD. It sounds great, the music is great and of course, the Genius is great.

I am really enjoying my selections by Ray Charles, it really brings back memories for me. When I was a child, my parents played each one of these selections and it really got me in the Christmas mode. My mother was really surprised that I was able to find this recording. She is really enjoying the music. Thanks for bringing back fond memories for my mom and for me.