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Ray Charles and Count Basie? The R&B genius paired with the master of syncopated swing? Together?? On the same recording? Can it be true, and if so, why was I not informed about this sooner???
In actuality, the title is a bit misleading, but nevertheless, this disk contains some of the best Ray Charles recordings I’ve ever heard, and that is really saying something. It turns out that a record executive at Concord Records was sifting through the vault when he happened onto a reel-to-reel tape simply marked “Ray/Basie.” Thinking that he just struck pure gold, the tapes were accessed, but it turns out that the box contained the two artists performing separately from one another. Furthermore, the Ray Charles recordings were poorly balanced, and presumed to be unusable. Then, the scribbling on the box provided the inspiration for a cure; If the historic recording doesn’t exist, why not make it exist? So, two decades after the death of Count Basie, his orchestra was called in to provide instrumental backup to Charles and his own band.
In theory, it sounds like it could be a mess, but the results are actually stellar. Charles has rarely sounded as inspired. He is at full power and completely in control on each of these recordings. Before hearing Ray Charles sing it, I presumed “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” to be one of those old standards that has been sucked dry of any possible interest. Here, Charles soars over a hot arrangement. In addition, the versions of “Let the Good Times Roll” and “How Long Has This Been Going On” are, without exaggeration, definitive. Familiar Charles classics like “Busted,” “Crying Time,” and “Georgia On My Mind” are fabulous as well, losing none of the impact of the original recordings, while adding an ambiance that makes them feel immediate. His version of “The Long and Winding Road” is his best Beatles cover on record, and you simply have to hear what he’s done to “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma.”
Do yourself a favor, and put away those terrible duet recordings that Ray recorded with the singing celebrities who called in their performances. Those records do Ray a disservice and don’t reflect his genuine talent at all. If you want to hear what the man was about, this is a great place to start. Or finish.
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