“The Genius Of Ray Charles” by Ray Charles - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1959 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1950s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Atlantic 1312. Released October, 1959. All new, although 1 track is reworked from the back-album catalogue – “Deed I Do” (from the “Soul Brothers” LP, 1958). “Hey y’all tell everybody, Ray Charles in town, Got a dollar and a quarter and I’m just rarin’ ta clown, Don’t let no body, play me cheap, I got fifty cents more than I’m gonna keep.” So proclaims the “genius” on opening salvo “Let The Good Times Roll” (Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, 1946). What a cheap tart. It’s a truly classic starter though… I could even be seduced by the genius hype if he were to keep up that level of excitement. Unfortunately however, we get an all acoustic big band covers set that’s intent on culling from the American songbook all the way. The album won the 1960 Grammy Award in the Pop category for “Best Vocal Performance – Album” as well as the 1960 Grammy for “Best Rhythm & Blues Performance” on “Let The Good Times Roll.” Personally speaking, it’s a middle-class revolt that I’m after. And this sounds like a bit of a surrender to me…

The Jukebox Rebel
25–Jul–2008

+ notes

• Atlantic 1312. Released October, 1959. 1 track is reworked from the back-album catalogue - "Deed I Do" (Soul Brothers, 1958).
• This is the all-American pop album Ray Charles had always dreamed of recording, with a full orchestra and strings. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns wrote the charts. Atlantic Records’ VP Jerry Wexler stated that they had wanted to use the “Genius” title, but held back for two years. On this album, there was absolutely no doubt that the time was right and the title fit. The album won the 1960 Grammy Award in the Pop category for “Best Vocal Performance – Album” as well as the 1960 Grammy for “Best Rhythm & Blues Performance” on “Let The Good Times Roll.” ~ raycharles.com

Tracklist

A1	[02:53] Ray Charles - Let The Good Times Roll (Sam Theard, Fleecie Moore) Big Band / Jive / Swing
A2	[02:45] Ray Charles - It Had To Be You (Gus Kahn, Isham Jones) Crooner / Cabaret
A3	[02:53] Ray Charles - Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin) Big Band / Jive / Swing
A4	[03:25] Ray Charles - Two Years Of Torture (Percy Mayfield, Charles Joseph Morris) Big Band / Jive / Swing
A5	[02:51] Ray Charles - When Your Lover Has Gone (Einar Aaron Swan) Big Band / Jive / Swing
A6	[02:27] Ray Charles - Deed I Do (Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose) Big Band / Jive / Swing
B1	[03:26] Ray Charles - Just For A Thrill (Lil Armstrong, Don Raye) Crooner / Cabaret
B2	[03:22] Ray Charles - You Won’t Let Me Go (Bud Allen, Buddy Johnson) Crooner / Cabaret
B3	[03:25] Ray Charles - Tell Me You’ll Wait For Me (Charles Brown, Oscar Moore) Crooner / Cabaret
B4	[03:46] Ray Charles - Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying (Joe Greene) Crooner / Cabaret
B5	[03:41] Ray Charles - Am I Blue? (Grant Clarke, Harry Akst) Crooner / Cabaret
B6	[03:42] Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine (Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen) Crooner / Cabaret

ratings by TJR