The Genius Sings the Blues
Studio album by Ray Charles
Released 2010 [originally released in 1961]
Recorded 1952-1960
Genre Blues, R&B
Length 33:54
Label Atlantic/MFSL
Producer Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler
The Genius Sings the Blues is an album by Ray Charles, released in October 1961 on Atlantic Records. The album was his last release for Atlantic, but one of his most memorable, compiling twelve blues songs from various sessions during his tenure for the label. The album showcases Charles's stylistic development with a combination of piano blues, jazz, and southern R&B. The photo for the album cover was taken by renowned photographer Lee Friedlander. The Genius Sings the Blues was reissued in 2003 by Rhino Entertainment with liner notes by Billy Taylor.
The innovation of Ray Charles is presented on this compilation LP. The Blues finds Charles delivering wailing and emotional numbers ("Hard Times", "Night Time Is the Right Time") to uptempo arrangements of country blues ("I'm Movin' On", "Early in the Mornin'"). Covering ground from his first session for Atlantic ("The Midnight Hour") to his last ("I Believe to My Soul"), The Genius Sings the Blues began as a simple cash-in LP after Charles' split from Atlantic Records and ended up as one of Charles' most well-known compilations.
Professional Ratings:
allmusic 4.5/5 stars
Blender 5/5 stars
eMusic 5/5 stars
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars
Review by Ron Wynn of allmusic:
Down-home, anguished laments and moody ballads were turned into triumphs by Ray Charles. He sang these songs with the same conviction, passion, and energy that made his country and soul vocals so majestic. This has not turned up in the reissue bins.
Review by John Morthland on eMusic:
All of Ray's Atlantic albums mix genres, and so it's no surprise that this is certainly not a "pure" blues album. But "I Believe to My Soul" (with Ray singing all the Raelets parts) is one of his most harrowing straight-ahead blues outings, while "The Right Time" (a duet with Margie Hendricks) is incandescent. And, even though he knew he was leaving the label when he cut most of it Ñ witness Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On," Ray's first foray into country Ñ the results are spellbinding.
Review on musicdirect:
Genius doesn't even begin to describe the greatness of The Genius Sings the Blues. Comprised of a dozen songs Ray Charles made between 1952 and 1960, the collection was released in 1961 by Atlantic Records to counter the singer's migration to rival ABC Paramount. What Atlantic originally underestimated is that the album contained many of Charles' greatest works, all unified by their bluesy emotions and stirring arrangements. A classic of the soul and R&B canon, The Genius Sings the Blues is a snapshot of the evolution of timeless American music captured by the pianist's indelible rhythmic pace, gospel roots, jazz backgrounds, and Southern-styled accents. And it's never sounded so good.
From the iconic cover art (a photo of Charles taken by legendary photographer Lee Friedlander) to the distinguished music within, everything about the thematic record is iconic. Now, nearly 50 years later, it can be heard in pristine fidelity sourced from the original mono master tapes. Mobile Fidelity's engineers have taken great pains to ensure that every clink of the piano keys, ache of Charles' rolling voice, and rush of the backing arrangements sounds better than they have since first being recorded in the studio. This 180g LP simply lays waste to the competition.
Previous editions of The Genius Sings the Blues, including a remastered digital edition from Rhino, suffered from varying levels, distracting static and noise, and inconsistent vocal balances. Mobile Fidelity has gone back to the original mono master tapes to correct these problems, giving music lovers what is now unquestionably the best-sounding Charles album to stem from his peak era. And these performances are simply on fire.
Whether inhabiting the sadness in "Night Time (Is the Right Time)" or personifying the loss of "Hard Times," Charles invests each song with supreme emotion and undeniable conviction that makes the lyrics ring true and the blues resonate with cathartic pathos. Uptempo country blues numbers ("I'm Movin' On", "Early in the Mornin'") balance the mournful slow fare, and again prove Charles a master composer, interpreter, and musician who could make any style his own. The Genius Sings the Blues also speaks to legendary jazz pianist Billy Taylor's initial impressions of Charles upon hearing him in a way in which few other Charles recordings do.
Taylor recalled: "While playing through some new music for a projected Ruth Brown record date, I was asked to listen to an original song played and sung by a young composer and pianist from Seattle, Washington. I can still remember how surprised I was to hear this kind of music from a Northwesterner. He reminded me of Charles Brown, another pianist-singer who was very popular in the Forties, but he had a very personal sound and there was something different about his rhythmic approach. In his handling of melody he seemed to be using devices similar to those used by Dinah Washington and a small group of popular singers who allowed their gospel singing backgrounds to influence their interpretation of popular songs... I was intrigued by the emotional quality projected by both his piano playing and his unusual voice and was not surprised when Ahmet ErtegŸn said that he wanted to let the young musician record some of his own material. 'He communicates just like the old blues singers,' Ahmet said."
Indeed, that innate blues aesthetic dominates this collection, as does Charles' distinctive rhythmic mannerisms. Finally, hear them as they've always been intended to be experienced.
Mobile Fidelity note:
Previous editions of The Genius Sings the Blues, including a remastered digital edition from Rhino, suffered from varying levels, distracting static and noise, and inconsistent vocal balances. Mobile Fidelity has gone back to the original mono master tapes to correct these problems, giving music lovers what is now unquestionably the best-sounding Charles album to stem from his peak era. And these performances are simply on fire.
LP track listing
All songs written by Ray Charles except as noted.
Side One
1. "Early in the Mornin'" (Leo Hickman, Louis Jordan, Dallas Bartley) Ð 2:46
2. "Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)" Ð 2:53
3. "The Midnight Hour" (Sam Sweet) Ð 2:57
4. "The Right Time" (Nappy Brown, Ozzie Cadena, Lew Herman) Ð 3:25
5. "Feelin' Sad" (Eddie Jones) Ð 2:47
6. "Ray's Blues" Ð 2:50
Side Two
7. "I'm Movin' On" (Hank Snow) Ð 2:11
8. "I Believe to My Soul" Ð 3:00
9. "Nobody Cares" Ð 2:37
10. "Mr. Charles' Blues" Ð 2:44
11. "Some Day Baby" Ð 2:58
12. "I Wonder Who" Ð 2:46
Personnel:
* Ray Charles - piano, organ, vocals
* David Newman - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
* Marcus Belgrave - trumpet
* John Hunt - trumpet
* Bennie Crawford - baritone saxophone
* Edgar Willis - bass
* Teagle Fleming - drums
* Joe Bridgewater - trumpet
* Riley Webb - trumpet
* Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone
* Roosevelt Sheffield - bass
* William Peeples - drums