Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company

The fact that Genius Loves Company will be Ray Charles's final new album inspires an unavoidable blue feeling. But it's also a happy reminder that the man spent the last months of his life at work doing what he loved. The overall effect of these dozen duets is autumnal and smooth. Brother Ray is on point and cruising here. Fine moments abound--you can hear his delight even in the rather stiff company of Diana Krall and Natalie Cole. His voice sounds a bit frayed by ill health at times, but it also allows for great performances like the slyness behind the ache in his version of the old soul hit "Hey Girl" with Michael McDonald and a grand "Crazy Love" with Van Morrison. Potently, he and Gladys Knight remind us of the continued timeliness of Stevie Wonder's "Heaven Help Us All." Its best moments make Company one more essential purchase for Ray Charles fans. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

True Beauty, Pure Genius!

Here written are many magnificent Kudos for this CD and I would just like to add a few comments from the casual listener who has always enjoyed Ray Charles from the living room armchair with much awe and many goose-bumps. As the final work of this great artist whose name is synonymous with greatness, I am hard pressed to find a single flaw in this collection. On many occasions I have popped this CD into the home or car player and just let it run its course as many as two or three times without changing it out. The recordings have a dynamic sound that fills your body and soul with music of the spheres, whether it's orchestra, choir, or bald-faced blues guitars and jazzed up Pie-Anna's. Every supple nuance and phrase of every note is captured rich and pure by the producers and engineers, and Ray's voice and those of his guests have never sounded more real, more up close and personal and standing in your living room. Some folks say digital doesn't sound "real". Well the staff at HEAR Music and Phil Ramone and John Burk in particular have made sure this experience is as real as it gets. I give Production on this CD album a whopping "10" for perfection!

And now to the music:

Of particular note I'd like to call out Here We Go Again with Norah Jones, Sinner's Prayer with BB King and Heaven Help Us All with Gladys Knight. On all three tracks, Billy Preston fills in every gap and wash with that glorious Hammond B3, most especially Here We Go Again where Ray calls on him for a standout solo piece. The holy keyboard trinity of Ray, Norah, and Billy, interchanging their delights on this track is well worth the price of CD alone. It welcomes you into the program, slaps you in the face with loving licks, and sets you down for an evening of joyful entertainment. On Sinner's Prayer, Ray reminds us once again that he could blues- and jazz-jam on the piano like no one else. To the very end, Ray never lost his touch and his piano answers every blues-guitar lick that BB can dish out, and answers it with the polish and splayed-finger amazement that only Ray was capable of. Lastly, if it isn't enough having the TRUE pop diva herself, Gladys Knight, exchanging prayers with Ray Charles, on a disc; if that isn't enough for you, glory and bask in the glow of Gladys' tremendous gospel choir, accented at every step with the Reverend Billy Preston giving us what God Gave him! Ray and Billy are together right now tickling the keys in eternity and awaiting the Glory Band of this generation.

Those three were my "Holy" tracks but someone else might revel in the delight of James Taylor and Ray delivering up JT's Sweet Potato Pie with funked up brass and lead guitar jabs back and forth by Ray's amazing band. Or you might just want to bathe in Diana Krall's sultry You Don't Know Me, I wonder if Ray got the miracle of sight on that one! Ray and Elton John exchange piano leads and stanzas on Elton's immortal Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, but when Ray and Natalie Cole get the Fever, it's blistering!

My favorite track after the three I mentioned above initially is Do I Ever Cross Your Mind with Bonnie Raitt. Bonnie's slide and Ray's piano work together to form a pure piece of art that captures the heart and soul of both artists. While Ray and Diana found vocal compatibility and sensuality on You Don't Know Me, Ray and Bonnie get down and dirty instrumentally on this track, and Bonnie gets downright "wicked" (read the liner notes folks) sliding through Ray's accompaniment.

If you are hard core Ray Charles fan you won't be reading this, but if you are a casual fan, or even a sometimes fan, take note: as a whole product, this is one of the best "albums" Ray ever made and he has made tons.

This is not your usual run of the mill obligatory get some stars together with a big name and slop the hogs for some cash "duets" album (like quite a few I can name). This album was made with loving care, at the invitation of Ray himself with the artists he cared about and deeply wanted to collaborate with. This project was close to his heart and was not a slick-product for the marketing monkeys. So if you are holding off because you have had enough of those "Duets" titled CD's and are sick of picking out two or three winners from the dozen or more songs proffered, then hold off no more. Just look at the artists listed, if they are to your liking, you will get nothing but their best performances here. If you love Ray, but are iffy on the partners involved, let me tell you, they were great with Mr. Charles, each and every one of them. The CD runs the gamut from soft and sentimental orchestral Ray (Johnny Mathis and Willie Nelson) to finger-snapping pop-jazz Ray (JT and Natalie Cole) to Motown Ray (Michael McDonald) to Smooth Ray (Norah, Diana, Van Morrison) to signature blues Ray (BB King, Bonnie) and gospel Ray (Gladys) and tearful Ray (Elton). If variety is the spice of your life and you like excellently produced and recorded music, Genius Loves Company will be your cup of tea. It is pure Genius!
August 18, 2008

Lost & Found

I used to own this CD even before it won 8 awards including the Album of the Year in 2005 Grammys. Unfortunately lost it in a rental car from a trip, which is not uncommon I guess. Now I am thrilled to have it back again in my car. July 15, 2008

super genius!

great disc, different style than ray usually churns out. interesting combos - ray and willie nelson on "a very good year"; ray and johnny mathis on "somewhere over the rainbow". you can tell a good time was had by all making this cd, it shows through the sounds created! July 14, 2008

pure genius

What can I say about this? I had a copy of this and it became damaged. I had to replace it because I loved it so much. Ray Charles was one of the greatest of all times, and these duets are priceless. Love it!! June 14, 2008

GENIUS LOVES COMPANY ! (and we love you, Ray)

Genius Loves Company (2004) was Ray Charles' last album, a collaborative affair with various musicians and singers handpicked by Ray himself. Liver cancer would end Ray's life before the album was released to great commercial success and won eight Grammy Awards. The album's Grammy Awards were in part sentimental wins, and I must admit that my five star rating is, too. Sentimentality is what Genius Loves Company is really all about. It's by no means Ray Charles at his peak as a performer. In fact, he's not in good health, way past his best days, and just doing the best he can to keep up with everyone else. And that's just fine with me. The singers here all feel incredibly honored to be chosen by Ray to participate in this special project, and each one knows that in his prime Ray Charles could outperform all of them put together. The atmosphere is almost like a celebration or a party to honor the beloved legend. It's schmaltzy and sentimental, and everyone is celebrating and complimenting (in quotes in the liner notes) the great Ray Charles.

I really went into Genius Loves Company determined that I was going to like it, no matter what. And even though Ray's worn and tired vocal performance produced a few shakey moments, by the time I got to the end of the album, I did like it. I also had a tear in my eye, and a new level of love and respect for who Ray Charles actually was, the legend that he is, and how he overcame the odds like he did.

Here We Go Again (w/Norah Jones) opens the album and sounds wonderful (it won a Grammy for Record Of The Year). It's followed by the fun of Sweet Potato Pie (w/James Taylor) and the uneasy blues of You Don't Know Me (w/Diana Krall). The haunting Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (w/Elton John) is a favorite of mine here, and the orchestrated arrangement highlights the song perfectly. The funky and jazzy Fever (w/Natalie Cole) and the country meets jazz Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (w/Bonnie Raitt) are both winners, and Ray's soulful, but subdued singing is still a joy to listen to as the old spark returns here and there. Ray's old and close friend Willie Nelson joins him on the heavily orchestrated It Was A Very Good Year. The song is perfect here and is sort of a turning point for the album. Knowing what good friends these two were for so many years makes it even more special. Of course, Willie didn't come to the party empty handed. He brought Trigger (his trademark and beat up old guitar) with him and you can hear it in the arrangement. B.B. King brought Lucille (his famous guitar) with him, too, and joins Ray for what's probably the best song on the album, Sinner's Prayer. With Billy Preston providing the organ and B.B. playing his guitar, Ray and B.B. belt out the blues, and Ray sounds better and more comfortable in this setting than he does anywhere on the album. Heaven Help Us All (w/Gladys Knight) is a gospel flavored highlight and quite an emotional and beautiful piece of music. Hey Girl (w/Michael McDonald) and Somewhere Over The Rainbow (w/Johnny Mathis) both work well and fit comfortably with the album's reflective spirit. There's also a good live version of Crazy Love (w/Van Morrison) from the night Ray inducted Van (by Van's request) into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Genius Loves Company will pain some who don't want to be bothered with hearing a legend way past his prime sing his songs anymore, but I quite enjoy this hearing this man giving it another shot, holding his own with some of the world's greatest singers. Ray Charles deserved this album, he more than earned it, I'm glad I own it, and it makes me proud to listen to it. Thank you, Ray Charles.
May 6, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...