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The Great Ray Charles

 
Album Review: The Great Ray Charles
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Great Ray Charles

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  • Artist: Ray Charles
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1957
  • Total Time: 64:48
  • Type: Compilation (best of), Instrumental
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

This set is rather unusual, for it is strictly instrumental, allowing Ray Charles a rare opportunity to be a jazz-oriented pianist. Two selections are with a trio (bassist Oscar Pettiford joins Charles on "Black Coffee"), while the other six are with a septet taken from his big band of the period. Key among the sidemen are David Newman (soloing on both tenor and alto) and trumpeter Joseph Bridgewater; highlights include Quincy Jones' "The Ray," "My Melancholy Baby," "Doodlin'," and "Undecided." Ray Charles should have recorded in this setting more often in his later years. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Dawn Ray Ray Charles Ray Charles, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Harris (5:03)
The Man I Love George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin Ray Charles, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Harris (4:28)
Music, Music, Music (Lyrics) Bernie Baum, Stephen Weiss Ray Charles, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Harris (2:56)
Black Coffee Sonny Burke, Paul Francis Webster Ray Charles, Oscar Pettiford, Joe Harris (5:32)
The Ray Quincy Jones Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (4:00)
I Surrender, Dear Harry Barris, Gordon Clifford Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (5:08)
Hornful Soul Ray Charles Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (5:30)
Ain't Misbehavin' (Lyrics) Fats Waller, Andy Razaf, Harry Brooks Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (5:41)
Joy Ride Ray Charles Ray Charles, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (4:40)
Sweet Sixteen Bars Ray Charles Ray Charles, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (4:07)
Doodlin' (Lyrics) Horace Silver Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (5:54)
There's No You Hal Hopper, Tom Adair Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (4:47)
Undecided Charlie Shavers, Sydney Robin Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (3:40)
My Melancholy Baby Ernie Burnett, George Norton, George A. Norton Ray Charles, Joe Bridgewater, Emmett Dennis, John Hunt, David "Fathead" Newman, William Peeples, Roosevelt Sheffield (4:20)

Credits

Vanessa Atkins (Project Assistant), Ray Charles (Vocals), Quincy Jones (Arranger), John Hunt (Trumpet), David "Fathead" Newman (Sax (Tenor)), Steven P. Gorman (Project Assistant), Tom Dowd (Engineer), Sheryl Farber (Project Assistant), Guy Lequerrec (Photography), Ray Charles (Keyboards), Joe Harris (Drums), Steven Chean (Project Assistant), Lee Friedlander (Photography), Ahmet Ertegun (Producer), Earle Brown (Engineer), Earl Singers Brown (Engineer), Greg Allen (Reissue Art Director), Nesuhi Ertegun (Supervisor), Arthur Moorhead (Project Assistant), Marvin Israel (Cover Design), Ray Charles (Piano), David "Fathead" Newman (Sax (Alto)), Oscar Pettiford (Bass), Leonard Feather (Liner Notes), Emmett Dennis (Sax (Baritone)), Jeff Magid (Audio Supervisor), Mark McKenna (Project Assistant), William Peeples (Drums), John Paul Hunt (Trumpet), Joel Dorn (Reissue Supervisor), Earl Brown (Engineer), Joel Dorn (Liner Notes), Roosevelt Sheffield (Bass), Julee Stover (Project Assistant), April Milek (Project Assistant), Ray Charles (Celeste), Reggie Collins (Project Assistant), David Ritz (Liner Notes), Patrick Milligan (Supervisor), Joe Bridgewater (Trumpet), Lee Tanner (Photography), Jerry Wexler (Producer), Ray Charles (Arranger), Ernie Wilkins (Arranger), Jerry Wexler (Supervisor), Dorothy Stefanski (Project Assistant), Elliott Federman (Remastering), Lee Friedlander (Cover Photo), Nesuhi Ertegun (Producer), Cory Frye (Project Assistant), Gary Kramer (Liner Notes), Greg Allen (Design)
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Wikipedia: The Great Ray Charles
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
The Great Ray Charles
Studio album by Ray Charles
Released August 1957
Recorded 1956
Genre R&B
Length 37:37
Label Atlantic Records 1259
Producer Ahmet Ertegün/Jerry Wexler
Professional reviews
Ray Charles chronology
Ray Charles (or, Hallelujah I Love Her So)
(1957)		 The Great Ray Charles
(1957)		 Ray Charles at Newport
(1958)
Alternate cover
CD re-issue with 6 extra tracks from The Genius After Hours

The Great Ray Charles is Ray Charles' second album for Atlantic Records. Released in 1957. Later CD re-issues often include as a bonus, 6 of 8 tracks from The Genius After Hours.

Contents

Track listing

Original LP release

Side A

  1. "The Ray" (Quincy Jones) – 4:00
  2. "My Melancholy Baby" (Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton) – 4:20
  3. "Black Coffee" (Sonny Burke, Paul Webster) – 5:32
  4. "There's No You" (Tom Adair, Harold Hopper) – 4:47

Side B

  1. "Doodlin' (Horace Silver) – 5:54
  2. "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:07
  3. "I Surrender Dear" (Harry Barris, Gordon Clifford) – 5:08
  4. "Undecided" (Sid Robin, Charlie Shavers) – 3:40

note: some sources list "Ain't Misbehavin'" in place of "Black Coffee"

1990 CD reissue

includes 6 bonus tracks from The Genius After Hours

  1. "Dawn Ray" – 5:03
  2. "The Man I Love" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:26
  3. "Music, Music, Music" (Bernie Baum, Stephen Weiss) – 2:53
  4. "Black Coffee" (Burke, Webster) – 5:43
  5. "The Ray" (Jones) – 3:55
  6. "I Surrender Dear" (Barris, Clifford) – 5:08
  7. "Hornful Soul" – 5:29
  8. "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 5:40
  9. "Joy Ride" – 4:39
  10. "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:06
  11. "Doodlin'" (Silver) – 5:53
  12. "There's No You" (Adair, Hopper) – 4:49
  13. "Undecided" (Robin, Shavers) – 3:40
  14. "My Melancholy Baby" (Burnett, Norton) – 4:22

Songs written by Ray Charles unless otherwise indicated

References

  • Atlantic Records 1259

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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