Artist: Ray Charles
Album: Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters
Label: Concord Records
Country: USA
Genre: Soul / Blues / Jazz
Release Date: 25.10.2010
Play Time: 41:37 min
Size: 96 MB
Cover: Yes
Cover type: Cover (front)
Cover MIME: image/jpeg
Audio
Format: MPEG Audio
Format version: Version 1
Format profile: Layer 3
Mode: Joint stereo
Bit rate mode: Constant
Bit rate: 320 Kbps
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Writing library: LAME3.97
Tracklist
01. Love's Gonna Bite You Back [03:54]
02. It Hurts To Be In Love [04:53]
03. Wheel Of Fortune [04:00]
04. I'm Gonna Keep On Singin' [05:30]
05. There'll Be Some Changes Made [04:04]
06. Isn't It Wonderful [04:13]
07. I Don't Want No One But You [04:20]
08. A Little Bitty Tear [03:35]
09. She's Gone [03:11]
10. Why Me Lord (feat. Johnny Cash) [03:57]
TRULY A RARE GENIUS
Ray Charles biography
R&B innovator Ray Charles was one of the most important musicians of the 1950s. Despite being blind from childhood, he was hugely successful at fusing elements of blues, country, gospel and doo-wop together to form a kind of proto-soul.
Despite losing his sight at an early age, he never let his disability stop him from being a success and scored several R&B chart hits in the early 50s –- including “It Should Have Been Me”, “Mess Around”, “I Got a Woman” and “Lonely Avenue” -– all recorded on Atlantic Records. These songs were among the early blueprints for soul music, alongside the work of artists like James Brown and Sam Cooke. In 1959 Charles enjoyed his biggest hit yet, when “What I’d Say” topped the R&B chart and reached No.6 in the main singles chart.
After leaving Atlantic for a better contract at ABC Records, Charles enjoyed more crossover successes, including the pained ballad “Georgia on my Mind”, the swinging pop chart-topper “Hit the Road Jack”, and the pleading “Unchain My Heart”. His 1962 record, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, was a smash hit, topping the album charts for 12 weeks. It is remembered as one of the greatest albums of the early 60s.
In the late 60s and 70s, Charles' fortunes started to wane. He fought personal demons (including drug addiction), and wasn’t able to keep up with the new and modern fashions of music. Although his recent material wasn’t so successful, his earlier songs continued to be popular and musicians continued to cite Charles as an influence. Ray Charles died of liver cancer in 2004; he was 73. Shortly afterwards, a biopic film was released telling his life story, bringing a new wave of posthumous appreciation.
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Description
Concord Records is celebrating the 80th birthday of the legendary Ray Charles with a special gift for his legions of fans: Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters. This treasure trove of newly discovered recordings, highlighted by a duet with fellow icon Johnny Cash, will become available on October 26th, 2010.
Culled from four decades worth of demos and other previously unreleased material, Rare Genius showcases the remarkable artistic vision, stylistic range and emotionally rich vocals that crafted Charles enduring legacy. Listening to the ten gems from the '70s, '80s and '90s that comprise this CD, fans will have no trouble envisioning the late singer rocking back and forth at the piano as he effortlessly segues between R&B/soul, pop, country and gospel. "Ray would always get inside the meaning of a lyric and make the listener believe every word," says Concord Music Group Chief Creative Officer, John Burk. "His vocals carried incredible emotion and intensity, even on demo tapes. What we have here with Rare Genius is on par with some of his greatest works."
And that's crystal clear right from the album's sparkling opener, "Love's Gonna Bite You Back." The March 1980 session track features an upbeat horn arrangement behind what Rare Genius liner notes author Bill Dahl calls "a Charles vocal that's a signature mixture of sandpaper grit and heavenly goodness." Up next is the stunning ballad "It Hurts to Be in Love," which underscores the album's main thematic focus and one of Charles' favorite subjects: the ups and down of romance. Another compelling standout is the gospel-stirred Charles and Cash duet on Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me, Lord?" Discovered in the Sony vaults, the song was produced by Billy Sherrill in Nashville and recorded in 1981 for an anticipated release on a CBS album. For unknown reasons, that didn't come to pass. What's more important, however, is the emotional charge you get listening to these two powerful voices come together in this spirited and inspired pairing. Except for "Lord," the nine other Rare Genius tracks including the soul-drenched "I Don't Want No One But You," a blues-infused cover of songwriter Hank Cochran's country classic "A Little Bitty Tear" and the joyous "I'm Gonna Keep on Singin'" were found in the vault at Charles' R.P.M. International Studios in Los Angeles. Adding a little sweetening to some of the sparse, stripped-down tracks was a team of top-notch musicians and artists: guitarists Keb' Mo' and George Doering, organist Bobby Sparks, trumpeter Gray Grant, trombonist Alan Kaplan, bassists Trey Henry and Chuck Berghofer, drummers Gregg Field and Ray Brinker and background vocalist Eric Benet.
As with its Concord predecessor, 2004's Grammy-winning Album of the Year Genius Loves Company, Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters is another fitting tribute to Charles, who would have turned 80 on September 23, 2010. It's a fresh, vibrant reaffirmation of the music icon's unparalleled artistry and legacy.
ENJOY!
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