RAY CHARLES - Four Classic Albums (The Genius Hits The Road / The Genius Sings The Blues / The Genius After Hours / Genius + Soul = Jazz)

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Ray Charles, complete with original artwork and liner notes.
“The Genius Hits The Road”; “The Genius Plays The Blues”; “The Genius After Hours” and “Genius+ Soul=Jazz”
For those of us in music retail, Ray Charles has always presented a problem as we love to place artists into handy categories in order to file their albums in the racks in our stores or on our websites! I have lost count of how many times I have been asked by young enthusiastic sales staff, “where does Ray Charles go??” Well, what’s the answer? It could be gospel, blues, boogie woogie, jazz, r”n”b, soul, country, pop or God forbid even easy listening! He’s covered them all at some time in his long and distinguished career. We usually ended up popping Brother Ray in the soul section, but unquestionably his influence across all musical genres was absolutely unsurpassed. We have covered a few of those genres in our first “Classic Albums” tribute to Ray Charles. From the blues of “The Genius Plays The Blues”, to the jazz of “Genius After Hours” and “Genius+Soul=Jazz” and on to the almost pop crossover album “The Genius Hits The Road” which produced one of his greatest moments and greatest hits in “Georgia On My Mind”.

CD1
1-12: ‘The Genius Hits The Road’
1. Alabamy Bound
2. Georgia On My Mind
3. Basin Street Blues
4. Mississippi Mud
5. Moonlight In Vermont
6. New York’s My Home
7. California, Here I Come
8. Moon Over Miami
9. Deep In The Heart Of Texas
10. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
11. Blue Hawaii
12. Chattanooga Choo Choo

13-24: ‘The Genius Sings The Blues’
13. Early In The Morning
14. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
15. The Midnight Hour
16. (Night Time Is) The Right Time
17. Feelin’ Sad
18. Ray’s Blues
19. I’m Movin’ On
20. I Believe To My Soul
21. Nobody Cares
22. I Got A Break Baby
23. Worried Life Blues
24. I Wonder Who

CD2
1-8: ‘The Genius After Hours’
1. The Genius After Hours
2. Ain’t Misbehavin’
3. Dawn Ray
4. Joy Ride
5. Hornful Soul
6. The Man I Love
7. Charlesville
8. Music, Music, Music

9-18: ‘Genius + Soul = Jazz’
9. From The Heart
10. I’ve Got News For You
11. Moanin’
12. Let’s Go
13. One Mint Julep
14. I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
15. Stompin’ Room Only
16. Mister C
17. Strike Up The Band
18. Birth Of The Blues