The Genius of Ray Charles

Infobox Album |
Name = The Genius of Ray Charles [Atlantic]
Type = Album
Artist = Ray Charles


Released = 1959
Recorded = 1959
Genre = R&B
Length = 37:58
Label = Atlantic Records 1312
Producer = Nesuhi Ertegün/Jerry Wexler
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rgfe4j370waq link]
Last album = "What'd I Say"
(1959)
This album = "The Genius of Ray Charles [Atlantic] "
(1959)
Next album = "In Person"
(1960)

The Genius of Ray Charles is a 1959 album by Ray Charles. RS500|263

"The Genius of Ray Charles" announced his breakout from rhythm and blues and onto a broader musical stage. Atlantic Records gave Charles full support in production and arrangements.

As originally presented, the A side of the album featured the Ray Charles band with David "Fathead" Newman supplemented by players from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, and arrangements by Quincy Jones.

The B side of the original album consists of six ballads with arrangements by Ralph Burns and a large string orchestra. Charles's performance of "Come Rain or Come Shine", a song identified with Frank Sinatra, brought public attention to his voice alone without the "distractions" of his soulful piano and his snappy band.

Each side contains a tribute to Louis Jordan with two songs he had hits with "Let the Good Times Roll" and ("Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying").

Track listing

A Side

#"Let the Good Times Roll" (Sam Theard/Fleecie Moore) – 2:53
#"It Had to Be You" (Gus Kahn/Isham Jones) – 2:45
#"Alexander's Ragtime Band" (Irving Berlin) – 2:53
#"Two Years of Torture" (Percy Mayfield/Charles Joseph Morris) – 3:25
#"When Your Lover Has Gone" (E. A. Swan) – 2:51
#"'Deed I Do" (Walter Hirsch/Fred Rose) – 2:27

B Side

#"Just for a Thrill" (Lil Armstrong/Don Raye) – 3:26
#"You Won't Let Me Go" (Bud Allen/Buddy Johnson) – 3:22
#"Tell Me You'll Wait for Me" (Charles Brown/Oscar Moore) – 3:25
#"Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (Joe Greene) – 3:46
#"Am I Blue" (Grant Clarke/Harry Akst) – 3:41
#"Come Rain or Come Shine" (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen) – 3:42

Personnel

On "Let the Good Times Roll", "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and "'Deed I Do":
*Ray Charles - piano and vocals
*Clark Terry - trumpet
*Ernie Royal - trumpet
*Joe Newman - trumpet
*Snookie Young - trumpet
*Marcus Belgrave - trumpet
*John Hunt - trumpet
*Melba Liston - trombone
*Quentin Jackson - trombone
*Thomas Mitchell - trombone
*Al Gray - trombone
*Frank Wess - flute, alto sax and tenor sax
*Marshall Royal - alto sax
*Paul Gonsalves - tenor sax (and solo on "Two Years of Torture")
*Zoot Sims - tenor sax
*David "Fathead" Newman - tenor sax (and solos on "Let the Good Times Roll", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "'Deed I Do" )

Other credits

*Sleeve notes: Nat Hentoff
*Recording engineers: Bill Schwartau and Tom Dowd

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ttouak3k5m3b Album Review at AllMusic.com]