Genius + Soul = Jazz – RAY CHARLES****

From The Heart/I’ve Got News For You/Moanin’/Let’s Go/One Mint Julep/I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town/Stompin’ Room Only/Mister C/Strike Up The Band/Birth Of The Blues

Here Ray Charles is assisted by arranger Quincy Jones and backed by a big band playing mostly instrumental material. Genius + Soul = Jazz includes the US top ten hit single One Mint Julep. (US:4)

“Charles sat himself behind a Hammond B-3 and together with key members of the Count Basie band, he swung arrangements written by Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns. From the opening horn stabs of From The Heart it's clear that this band plays big, brassy and hard, yet Charles keeps it cool on the organ, and his two vocal numbers (I've Got News For You and I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town), are blue and soulful. Charles gave the band and its soloists plenty of room to shine, but when his keys step to the front, such as his growling lead on One Mint Julep, it's clear who is leading the sessions.”

“One of the best early-'60s examples of soul/jazz crossover, this record, like several of his from the period, featured big-band arrangements. This fared better than some of Charles' similar outings, however, if only because it muted some of his straight pop aspirations in favour of some pretty mean and lean, cut-to-the-heart-of-the-matter B-3 Hammond organ licks.”

“Genius + genius = brilliance. That's when the ambitious arrangements of Quincy Jones met the masterly interpretation of Ray Charles.”

“Basically Ray on a jazz trip, backed with a big band playing mostly instrumental material. Its a fine record but not the place to go if you want to hear Ray singing some R ‘n’ B. Parts of it are simply magical though, and you can really hear in places what a great keyboard player he was.”

“Musically this album is fairly solid, but I was hoping for more of a soul/jazz vocal experience rather than a loud big jazz band featuring Ray with his organ stabs and flourishes. There isn't a weak track on the album, but then again there aren't many here that will blow you away. I think the strongest track is I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town. If the album played out more like this it would have been a much more rewarding listening experience.”