Ray Charles- The Genius Sings The Blues
(Numbered 180g Mono Vinyl LP)
track List
1. "Early in the Mornin'" – 2:48
2. "Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)" – 2:56
3. "The Midnight Hour" – 3:02
4. "(Night Time Is) the Right Time" – 3:25
5. "Feelin' Sad" – 2:50
6. "Ray's Blues" – 2:55
7. "I'm Movin' On" – 2:13
8. "I Believe to My Soul" – 3:01
9. "Nobody Cares" – 2:41
10. "Mr. Charles' Blues" – 2:48
11. "Some Day Baby" – 3:01
12. "I Wonder Who" – 2:46
Ray CharlesThe Genius Sings the Blueson Numbered-Edition 180g Mono LP from Mobile Fidelity
1961 Collection Gathers 12 Must-Have Songs from Charles' Peak Era
Mobile Fidelity Has Righted the Sonic Wrongs That Plagued Earlier Versions: Pure Mono Analog Sound
Genius doesn’t even begin to describe the greatness ofThe Genius Sings the Blues. Comprised of a dozen songsRay Charlesmade between 1952 and 1960, the collection was released in 1961 by Atlantic Records to counter the singer’s migration to rivalABC Paramount. WhatAtlanticoriginally underestimated is that the album contained many ofCharles’greatest works, all unified by their bluesy emotions and stirring arrangements.A classic of the soul and R&B canon,The Genius Sings the Bluesis 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 ofCharlestaken by legendary photographerLee 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’sengineers have taken great pains to ensure that every clink of the piano keys, ache ofCharles’rolling voice, and rush of the backing arrangements sounds better than they have since first being recorded in the studio.This 180g mono LP simply lays waste to the competition.
Previous editions ofThe 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,”Charlesinvests 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 proveCharlesa master composer, interpreter, and musician who could make any style his own.The Genius Sings the Bluesalso speaks to legendary jazz pianistBilly Taylor’sinitial impressions ofCharlesupon hearing him in a way in which few otherCharlesrecordings do.
Taylorrecalled: “While playing through some new music for a projectedRuth Brownrecord 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 ofCharles 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 byDinah Washingtonand 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 whenAhmet Ertegünsaid that he wanted to let the young musician record some of his own material. ‘He communicates just like the old blues singers,’Ahmetsaid."
Indeed, that innate blues aesthetic dominates this collection, as doesCharles’distinctive rhythmic mannerisms.Finally, hear them as they’ve always been intended to be experienced.Order your numbered-edition copy from Music Direct today!