Ray Charles

The Genius of Ray Charles is a 1959 album by Ray Charles. In 2003, the album was ranked number 263 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Some players from Ray Charles' big band are joined by many ringers from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands for the first half of this program, featuring Charles belting out six songs arranged by Quincy Jones. "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Deed I Do" are highlights, and there are solos by tenorman David "Fathead" Newman, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, and (on "Two Years of Torture") tenor Paul Gonsalves. The remaining six numbers are ballads, with Charles backed by a string orchestra arranged by Ralph Burns. Charles' voice is heard throughout in peak form, giving soul to even the veteran standards.

A deeply personal memoir of the private Ray Charles - the man behind the legend - by his eldest son.

In late 1964, ABC-Paramount prepared to release Ray Charles Sings For You. The album was assigned catalog number ABC-500, with liner notes and artwork completed. However, the release was shelved in favor of issuing Ray Charles Live in Concert in January 1965. As a result, Ray Charles Sings For You remained unreleased, and its tracks were scattered across various compilations over the years. Now, for the first time ever, this lost album is officially restored and released as the artist originally intended. Featuring tracks like "My Baby Don't Dig Me," "Without Love (There Is Nothing)," and "Worried Life Blues (Someday Baby)." The album's significance lies in its historical context and the quality of its performances, offering listeners a glimpse into a prolific period of Charles's career.

Lost for 50 years, these newly discovered concerts, featuring an hour and 45 minutes of performances, were filmed at the 1961 Antibes Jazz Festival in France and show Ray Charles in his prime period with the original Raeletts and his most legendary band (including David "Fathead" Newman and Hank Crawford.) These first concerts he ever gave in Europe, opened the door for Ray Charles to become one of the most revered international stars America has ever produced. The original 16mm films have been newly transferred and digitally restored and remastered, capturing Ray Charles at the peak of his powers, the very essence of "genius".