Ray Charles did so many things well -and all at the same time - that he sometimes doesn’t get sufficient credit for all the things that he did.

I suppose that he is primarily thought of as an R&B artist, but he also contributed significantly to the development of rock and roll. He was also one of the first R&B artists to incorporate Country-Western music into his repertoire. He worked with three-piece bands and full orchestras and created instrumental albums that featured his abilities as a keyboardist. He was instrumental (sorry, no pun here, keep moving, keep moving) in establishing rhythm and blues by emphasizing each side of that style, as can be explored quite literally on this, his debut album.

Side one of “Ray Charles” consists exclusively of blues tracks, with six of the seven tracks featuring blues progressions in 6/8 time. Side two highlights the upbeat ‘rhythm’ side of his influence, which is certainly the fan’s favorite side because every track on side two was an R&B hit. It should be noted, however, that none of these now familiar tunes ever charted on Billboard’s top 40, being relegated strictly to the segregated R&B charts.

By 1956, that segregation started to diminish. Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins found themselves on the R&B charts, for example (and the country-western charts as well), which only proves that the decision-makers had no idea where rock and roll would eventually land. Charles was above the fray, simply doing what he did best, with significant assistance from the staff at Atlantic Records, who were insistent at promoting him as a genius (which was not hyperbole).

Atlantic was one of many small, independent record labels like Imperial, Specialty and King that formed to cash in on the boom of small R&B bands that flourished after the War. Atlantic grew the fastest of the lot, not only because they were very good at what they did, but also because they cast a wider net, including jazz as part of their early profile. By 1952, they had amassed quite a lineup of artists and a good number of hits, when they signed Ray Charles to their roster. Charles was a perfect fit at Atlantic because he covered the full spectrum of their range.

By the time this album was released, Charles was their premier artist and the future for both the artist and the label appeared to be bright indeed. It’s only a shame that they didn’t manage to retain their relationship when greater things started to happen for both of them.

Featured tracks:

Ain't That Love

Drown in My Own Tears

Come back Baby

Sinner's Prayers

Funny (But I Still Love You)

Losing Hand

A Fool for You

Hallelujah I Love Her So

Mess Around

This Little Girl of Mine

Mary Ann

Greenbacks

Don't You Know

I Got a Woman

June 1957 - Billboard Did Not Chart