Charles Stroos

Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma.

Charles Aznavour Il était le dernier des Mohicans, l'ultime géant ayant écrit l’histoire de la chanson française du XXe siècle. Avec Charles Trenet et Gilbert Bécaud, il fait partie de ce trio gagnant qui s’est imposé au plus haut niveau mondial, auteurs de « standards » repris par tous, Frank Sinatra les a chanté tous les trois.

On the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Ives - acclaimed by his champion Leonard Bernstein as the 'first great American composer', who, 'all alone in his Connecticut barn, created his own private musical revolution' - Sony Classical presents the most authoritative recording collection ever released of works by this eccentric, prophetic genius. The 5-CD box set 117 tracks 'Charles Ives - The Anniversary Edition' is a unique and provocative introduction.

On the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Ives - acclaimed by his champion Leonard Bernstein as the 'first great American composer', who, 'all alone in his Connecticut barn, created his own private musical revolution' - Sony Classical presents the most authoritative recording collection ever released of works by this eccentric, prophetic genius. The 5-CD box set 117 tracks 'Charles Ives - The Anniversary Edition' is a unique and provocative introduction.

Between May 17 and 25, 1962, Ray Charles, “The Genius”, returned to Paris for a series of memorable concerts. And he was at his peak, fronting his big band and accompanied by his Raelets led by a dazzling Margie Hendrix. This 3CD set prepared by Joël Dufour with the help of Michel Brillié and Gilles Pétard contains previously unreleased material and bonus tracks that include recordings made in Ray’s own studio, where he plays piano alongside his favourite artists, Percy Mayfield and Louis Jordan. And this set has a must: “Blue Stone” is a great instrumental with Ray playing alto, but he never recorded it in a studio. And you can listen to it here! Patrick FRÉMEAUX

There are few Biblical characters more sharply drawn than Saul, the unsuspecting first king of the united monarchy of Israel and Judah, a loving pater familias at times and a fratricidal maniac at others. The Book of First Samuel becomes a page-turner from the moment Saul is introduced as “the handsomest man in Israel, standing head and shoulders above the rest” to his ignominious death in battle, a failed suicide finished off by an enemy solder.

The Grand Master 1944-1962: His Inspiration, His Influence is een album van Ray Charles uit 2024 en is uitgebracht onder het label Fremeaux

Ray Charles was one of the most iconic and influential artists in the annals of pop as a singer, songwriter and pianist, and while he is considered one of the godfathers and great innovators of soul music, his work transcended the worlds of jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country and western as well. Afflicted by blindness, he turned to music in his early life, and began recording for the Swing Time label in 1949 as a member of The Maxim Trio. In a career spanning half a century, he racked up over 100 chart entries, with well over 40 coming in this seminal first quarter-century or so of his career. This excellent-value 125-track 5-CD collection comprises just about all his A & B sides released on the Swing Time, Atlantic, ABC-Paramount and Impulse labels during these years. It features all his 46 Pop, R&B and UK chart entries from this era, including the pop No. 1s “Georgia On My Mind”, “Hit The Road Jack” & “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and the R&B No. 1s “I’ve Got A Woman”, “A Fool For You”, “What’d I Say”, “Unchain My Heart”, “One Mint Julep” & “You Are My Sunshine”, encompassing his time as the pillar of the Atlantic roster and the hits from his landmark albums for ABC-Paramount “Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music”. It’s a substantial and comprehensive overview of his chart-focused output during these years as part of a dynamic and exciting pop and R&B landscape, and a thoroughly entertaining showcase for his unique talents as singer, composer, pianist and arranger.

Charles Mingus (1922-1979), nicknamed "the angry man of jazz" and still today an icon of the jazz world, was known for his intimidating temperament. His musical talent on double bass, as musical arranger, bandleader or composer, was immense. His music touches on all kinds of jazz styles, from free, blues, hard bop, big band or third stream, influenced by Duke Ellington's orchestrations, but always has an element of irritation and danger. Influenced by New Orleans jazz, Mingus also fancied collective improvisation (as we can hear on various albums on this collection). This exciting box set is a journey through his fascinating music, displaying all of his artistic mutations and idiosyncrasies. Mingus is accompanied here by a host of all-time greats including Max Roach, Teo Macero, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Bud Powell.