Ray Charles - Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

By the end of the 1950s, Ray Charles, already a star in black America, began to make inroads into the white teen record buying market with hits such as "I Got A Woman" and "What'd I Say." Charles' contract with Atlantic Records was about to expire and the label fully expected to keep their rising star. However, a new label, ABC-Paramount, was looking to stake their claim in the white teen market and came to court Charles.

Their offer was too good to refuse. Charles was able to produce his own records, he received a healthy royalty rate and, most importantly, he would own his own masters after five years — an unprecedented move for any record label, but one that showed how badly they wanted Charles. Charles agreed to the deal and found great success at the label, releasing a number of singles and some of his best-loved work. Those singles are all collected on Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles.

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Ray Charles - Live In France 1961 DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1961, it's safe to say Ray Charles was at the peak of his powers. His albums and tours were smash hits and he had signed a deal with ABC-Paramount that granted him 75% of his record's profits and a minimum guarantee of $50,000 per record. In addition, his former label Atlantic, which was still stinging from the loss of its big star, released a number of unreleased Ray Charles songs which when combined with the material he was doing for ABC-Paramount, made for 10 albums of new material between 1960-1961. Life was good indeed.

In 1961, he was invited to perform at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France. The festival featured a number of important acts, including Count Basie; Les McCann; and the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross and became the first concerts Charles ever performed in Europe. The performances were filmed and form the basis of Ray Charles – Live in France 1961. This DVD marks the first commercial release of this material.

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Ray Charles - Live In Concert CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The word genius gets tossed around a lot when referring to musical artists, with some more deserving of the honor than others. When people referred to the late Ray Charles as a genius, however, rarely was it more appropriate. Charles was a master of multiple genres seldom seen before or since, mixing R&B, big band, jazz, gospel, country and rock 'n' roll into a blend uniquely his. After playing with smaller combos throughout the 1950s, Charles assembled a 15-piece band in 1961. Originally released in 1965 as a 12-song album, Ray Charles – Live in Concert, the album has been expanded by seven songs to include the complete show.

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