RAY CHARLES
Genius Loves Company

Concord Records

It is difficult and unfortunate to be reviewing Genius Loves Company, the final Ray Charles album of new material, after his death at the age of 73. Obviously, Charles contributed more to American music than can be easily or readily apprehended by the average listener. While his most innovative contributions were made in the 1950s and 60s, he was far from spent over the last forty years or so. In fact, Ray seemed to draw his very life force from continuing to play music, and he was still giving his all in performances right up until the time of his passing.

During his extremely long and varied recording and performing career, Charles collaborated with a long list of musical luminaries, but he never recorded an album made up exclusively of duets, and the time seemed right for such a project. It is a pleasure to report that Ray sounds every bit as great as he ever did on this project—his voice is still wonderful, an instrument of such great expressiveness that it often seems to be the voice of American popular music. Sure, there are periodic signs of the ravages of time, the occasional high note that seems to elude him, but these are minor, and in any case, they are the signs of a life spent making music and playing on the road as well as many years that were far from easy that are more like medals of valor than imperfections. It’s also interesting that, no matter how seemingly incongruous a partner he may be paired with, Ray always sounds perfectly at home in their style. Many of these artists simply sound like they are performing a song for their latest album; their stylistic ranges are often more limited than Ray’s and they simply do what they do best. It is Ray who makes the adjustment necessary to fuse his voice and performance with his guests. Like all good hosts, Ray never makes his guest feel uncomfortable or appear to be at odds with the overall performance. Again, this is a testament to the unique talents of Ray Charles and demonstrates that the use of the term “genius” with respect to Charles is far from hyperbolic.

Things start out well, with songbird Norah Jones joining Charles for a sultry performance of “Here We Go Again.” Jones’ comfort with a country-infused ballad helps bring the performance together well, as does Ray’s ability to infuse any musical style with a blues and gospel tinge that Jones subtly echoes. There’s nothing subtle about Billy Preston’s churchy organ work, however, it’s all over this track and provides just the right touch. It’s certainly a high point to open on. The next guest to arrive is James Taylor doing “Sweet Potato Pie”, and the meeting of Taylor’s smooth Yankee blues thing with the grittier delivery of Charles is a great juxtaposition. The arrangement, full of punchy horns and electric blues-pop guitar, also helps keep the track at a high energy level.

It would seem a safe bet to pair Charles with Diana Krall on a standard tune like “You Don’t Know Me” since the song’s style is Krall’s stock in trade. Unfortunately, she comes off as unbearably stiff and, frankly, very dull. Where Jones seemed engaged and enthusiastic, though subtle, about her performance, Krall seems dead on arrival. When juxtaposed with Charles’ heartfelt vocal, Krall’s performance seems nice, but ultimately paint by numbers. Hers is not the only problematic performance on Genius Loves Company. Natalie Cole is also somewhat out of her element performing “Fever,” though she certainly gives it more pizzazz than Krall. But in the end, one finds oneself waiting for Charles to come in and sing his part rather than listening closely to Cole. On her own, the performance would sound fine, but every time Ray sings, he seems able to effortlessly kick things up a notch. There’s nothing really wrong with Willie Nelson’s vocal performance on “It Was a Very Good Year” but the string arrangement is way overdone and lends the song a dramatic quality that it didn’t really need. I know that’s how Sinatra did it, but really it seems that Willie and Ray could have done this one in a much more pared down, intimate fashion that might have offered greater insight.

The remaining performances primarily succeed in varying degrees. Bonnie Raitt’s “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” is something of a foregone conclusion because both performers speak the common language of the blues so well that it seems like a no-brainer to pair them. The same goes for “Sinner’s Prayer” with B.B. King on board—can anyone possibly envision this going wrong? Of course, it doesn’t, with both musicians providing raw, bluesy vocals and some solid signature instrumental work. The gospel barnburner “Heaven Help Us All” with Gladys Knight is also a shoe-in, largely because Knight was always one of the best of the Motown-based pop vocalists, and she still is.

These pairings represent some of the CD’s high points, but they are scarcely surprising. Less obvious would be the pairing of Charles and Elton John on “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.” But it works because Elton is singing in his usual style and obviously has an emotional investment in the song, and Ray is able to contribute to the song as well. “Hey Girl” with Michael McDonald works reasonably well also, largely because McDonald has reinvented himself as a bit of an easy listening blue eyed soul singer, and his voice blends quite well with Ray’s. How well “Over The Rainbow” works is going to depend on the individual listeners’ enthusiasm for, or ability to tolerate, Johnny Mathis. But there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the performance, and Ray gives it just the right touch of melancholy romance. That leaves the final track, a live performance of Van Morrison’s soulful “Crazy Love.” Morrison is a soul and R&B-based singer, so the song sounds like it was just waiting for Brother Ray’s treatment, and Van the Man certainly holds his own. In fact, of all the singers on Genius Loves Company, he may be the closest in style to Ray as a singer. In any case, the performance ends the CD on a high note.

While Genius Loves Company doesn’t break new ground or provide any vastly new insight into Ray Charles’ tremendous talent, it is a feel good record and one that will draw a wide audience, including longtime Charles fans and those who come to the album because of their affinity for some of the guest performers. As a sendoff for Ray Charles, it could hardly be more fitting—a tribute to a man whose talent and generosity with that talent were immeasurable. It is clear from these performances that practically any musical performer of note from any genre could find common ground with Ray, and that makes this a worthy project and a fun CD to listen to.