Ray Charles-Genius & Friends

Artist: Ray Charles
Title: Genius & Friends
Genre: Soul-Jazz-Pop-R & B-Blues
Label: Rhino-

Genius & Friends is a well-groomed follow up to the Grammy award winning Genius Loves Company. While this album does not carry the weight that his swansong did, it features some of the best of the best recording artists today. Ray recorded most of the tracks bewteen 1997-98. In 1994 he recorded the excellent "Big Bad Love" with Dianna Ross for the film The Favor and in 1991 a live rendition of "Busted" with Willie Nelson. It seems like an odd pairing, Nelson the country crooner with the soul legend, but it works somehow on the soulful horn filled number.

"Compared To What" is my favorite track on the album; it is a rockin’ expressive tune with Leela James answering Brother Ray’s call. Her voice is very strong and a perfect compliment to Charles. Even though Genius Love Company was a great album, his voice was not as strong throughout as it is on these sessions. Taking into consideration a time span of some five years before Ray became very ill, his voice was still surprisingly strong yet beginning to falter. He sounds much more powerful in these sessions and for obvious reasons. You will not hear any weakness in the man’s voice on this album, he was in fine form, and so were all of his guests.

From a production standpoint there was some wizardy required. It was necessary to add the guest vocals in for some tracks so it would sound like they were actually singing right along with Charles. Thanks to Ahmet Ertegun, Peter L. Funsten, Quincy Jones, and Phil Ramone for getting the job done.

Well, the Ray Charles train just keeps on rollin’ down the line and we have yet another album, and one of many that are sure to come as a reminder of his greatness.

© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck-http://www.muzikreviews.com

October 17, 2005

Rating-8/10

01. All I Want To Do– with Angie Stone
02. You Are My Sunshine – with Chris Isaak
03. It All Goes By So Fast – with Mary J. Blige
04. You Where There – with Gladys Knight
05. Imagine – with Ruben Studdard & The Harlem Gospel Singers
06. Compared To What – with Leela James
07. Big Bad Love – with Diana Ross
08. I Will Be There – with Idina Menzel
09. Blame It On The Sun – with George Michael
10.Touch – with John Legend
11. Shout – with Patti LaBelle & The Andrae Crouch Singers
12. Surrender To Love – with Laura Pausini
13. Busted (Live) – with Willie Nelson
14. America The Beautiful – with Alicia Keys