Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company (2004) [Vinyl Rip 16/44 & mp3-320 + DVD]

Genius Loves Company is the last studio album Ray Charles completed before his death in June 2004. Prior to this, the last studio album he released was Strong Love Affair in 1996, which was a stab at modern pop, filled with new songs and given an adult contemporary sheen. It was not one of his most distinctive efforts, even when judged against his latter-day albums, and it disappeared not long after its release. Charles left Warner and, years later, signed with Concord, who released Genius Loves Company, which had a decidedly different approach than the all-modern Strong Love Affair. As the title acknowledges with a wink, this is a duets album, which may be a little commonplace as far as latter-day superstar albums go but is still a step up from his previous studio album since it puts Ray Charles in a comfortable, relaxed situation that plays to his strengths. Instead of trying to put Charles in a modern setting, producers John Burk and Phil Ramone (Burk helmed seven of the album's tracks, Ramone is responsible for the other five, and their work fits together seamlessly) go for a clean retro setting with a few guitars, synths, and a rhythm section, occasionally dressing it with an orchestra or some strings. In other words, apart from the glistening production, it's not far removed from any of Charles' crossover records from the '60s, and he's also given a strong set of songs, largely familiar pop classics, from "Fever" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" and "Crazy Love." His duet partners are fairly predictable – classy newcomers like Norah Jones and Diana Krall, but also old stalwarts like Elton John, B.B. King, Johnny Mathis, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and the ubiquitous Willie Nelson (who has never sounded older than he does here on "It Was a Very Good Year") – but they're also reliable, never overshadowing Ray yet never shrinking in his shadow either; in short, it sounds more like a real duets album than most superstar duet records. The end result is modest, friendly, laid-back, and pleasing, one that remains faithful to Charles' music while sounding relatively fresh. It may not be weighty enough to be a career-capping masterpiece, but it's sweet enough to be an appropriate final album – which is far more than can be said of Strong Love Affair, or any of the other albums he cut in the '80s or '90s for that matter.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic

Tracklist:

Side 1

A1 - Here We Go Again 3:59
Bass - Tom Fowler / Drums - Ray Brinker / Guitar - Irv Kramer / Keyboards - Ray Charles
Organ [Hammond B3] - Billy Preston / Vocals [Duet], Piano - Norah Jones

A2 - Sweet Potato Pie 3:47
Baritone Saxophone - Brandon Fields / Bass - Tom Fowler / Drums - Ray Brinker
Guitar - Irv Kramer, Michael Landau / Keyboards - Randy Waldman / Saxophone - Bob Shepard, Dave Boruff
Trombone - Bob McChesney, Bruce Fowler / Trumpet - Charles Davis, Walt Fowler / Vocals [Duet] - James Taylor

A3 - You Don't Know Me 3:55
Bass - Tom Fowler / Cello - John Krovoza, Stefanie Fife, Tim Landauer, Trevor Handy / Drums - Ray Brinker
Guitar - George Doering, Irv Kramer / Keyboards - Ray Charles / Piano, Keyboards - Randy Waldman
Viola - Andrew Picken, David Walther, Miguel Ferguson, Ray Tischer, Shawn Mann, Suzanna Giordano
Violin - Berj Garabedian, Brian Benning, Daphne Chen, David Stenske, Dynell Weber, Irina Voloshina, Jennifer
Munday, Jennifer Walton, Johana Krejci, Julie Rogers , Kirsten Fife, Margaret Wooten, North Wood, Raymond
Kobler, Ron Clark, Ronald Folsom, Songa Lee
Vocals [Duet] - Diana Krall

A4 - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 3:59
Bass - Tom Fowler / Cello - John Acosta , Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Yao Zhao / Drums - John Robinson
Guitar - Michael Thompson / Piano - Alan Pasqua / Viola - Carolyn Riley, Ed Persi, Maria Newman, Sam Formicola
Violin - Alan Ellsworth, Alicia Engley, Amy Wickman-Guerra, Dennis Molchan, Edmund Stein, Gerry Hilera, Igor
Pandurski, Kathleen Robertson, Nick Grant , Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews, Sai Ly Acosta, Todor Pelev, Xiao Niu
He, Zheng Wang
Vocals [Duet] - Elton John

A5 - Fever 3:30
Bass - Tom Fowler / Cello - John Acosta , Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Yao Zhao / Drums - Ray Brinker
Guitar - George Doering, Irv Kramer / Keyboards - Randy Waldman
Viola - Carolyn Riley, Ed Persi, Maria Newman, Sam Formicola
Violin - Alan Ellsworth, Alicia Engley, Amy Wickman-Guerra, Dennis Molchan, Edmund Stein, Gerry Hilera, Igor
Pandurski, Kathleen Robertson, Nick Grant , Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews, Sai Ly Acosta, Todor Pelev, Xiao Niu
He, Zheng Wang
Vocals [Duet] - Natalie Cole

A6 - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? 4:34
Bass - Tom Fowler / Drums - Ray Brinker / Guitar - George Marinelli / Keyboards - Ray Charles
Piano - Randy Waldman / Vocals [Duet], Guitar [Slide] - Bonnie Raitt

A7 - It Was A Very Good Year 4:59
Bass - Tom Fowler / Bassoon - Dave Riddles, John Mitchell / Clarinet - Charles Boito, Don Markese
Cello - Armen Ksajikian, John Acosta , Kevan Toreh, Martha Lippi, Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Suzie Katayama, Yao Zhao
Double Bass [Contrabass] - Dave Stone , Karl Vincent, Kenneth Wild, Richard Shaw, Tim Christensen , Trey Henry
Drums - Ray Brinker / English Horn - Joseph Stone / Flute - Greg Huckins, Steve Kujala
French Horn - Joe Meyer, Kurt Snyder, Patricia Skye, Richard Todd / Guitar - Irv Kramer / Harp - Eleanore Choate
Oboe - Leanne Becknell / Percussion - Mark Converse, Wallace Snow / Piano - Randy Waldman / Timpani - Scott Higgins
Viola - Briana Bandy, Carolyn Riley, David Stenske, Ed Persi, John Acevedo, Maria Newman, Ray Tischer, Robert
Berg, Sam Formicola, Shanti Randall
Violin - Alan Ellsworth, Alwyn Wright, Anatoli Rosinsky, Armen Garabedian, Berg Garabedian, Charles Everett,
David Kilbride, Dennis Molchan, Edmund Stein, Franklyn D'Antonio, Gerry Hilera, Horia Moroaica, Igor Pandurski,
Joel Derouin, Kathleen Robertson, Kenneth Yerke, Leslie Brown Katz, Michael Markman, Michelle Richards, Nancy
Roth, Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews, Robert Matsuda, Todor Pelev, Tricia Lee, Vladimir Polimatidi, Xiao Niu He,
Yaroslav Kettner, Zheng Wang
Vocals [Duet], Guitar - Willie Nelson

Side 2

B1 - Hey Girl 5:15
Bass - Tom Fowler, Trey Henry / Bassoon - Dave Riddles, John Mitchell
Cello - Armen Ksajikian, John Acosta, Larry Corbett, Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Yao Zhao
Clarinet - Charles Boito, Don Markese / Drums - Ray Brinker / Flute - Greg Huckins, Steve Kujala
Double Bass [Contrabass] - Dave Stone , Karl Vincent, Kenneth Wild, Trey Henry
French Horn - Kurt Snyder, Phil Yao, Suzette Moriarty / Guitar - Irv Kramer / Harp - Eleanore Choate
Oboe - Joseph Stone, Leanne Becknell / Percussion - Mark Converse, Wallace Snow / Piano - Randy Waldman
Timpani - Scott Higgins / Trombone - Alex Isles, Andrew Martin, Robert Sanders, Charlie Morillas
Trumpet - Dennis Farias, Kenneth Scharf, Larry Hall, Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron
Viola - Briana Bandy, David Stenske, Ed Persi, John Acevedo, Ray Tischer, Robert Berg, Sam Formicola
Violin - Alan Ellsworth, Anatoli Rosinsky, Charles Everett, David Kilbride, Dennis Molchan, Edith Markman,
Edmund Stein, Gerry Hilera, Kathleen Robertson, Kenneth Yerke, Michelle Richards, Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews,
Robert Matsuda, Todor Pelev, Vladimir Polimatidi, Xiao Niu He, Yaroslav Kettner, Zheng Wang
Vocals [Duet], Keyboards - Michael McDonald

B2 - Sinner's Prayer 4:25
Bass - Tom Fowler / Drums - Jim Keltner / Guitar [Rhythm] - Irv Kramer / Organ [Hammond B3] - Billy Preston
Piano - Ray Charles / Vocals [Duet], Guitar [Lead] - B.B. King

B3 - Heaven Help Us All 4:32
Bass - Abraham Laboriel Sr. / Drums - James Gadson / Guitar - Charles Fearing, Danny Jacob
Choir - Alethea Mills, Aminah Ofumbi, Chavonne Morris, Clarissa Watkins, Clydene Jackson, Darryl Phinnessee,
De'Ante Duckett, Irene Madison, James Burney, Janey Clewer Gaitsch, James Gilstrap, John West , Kevin Dorsey,
Loren Turner, Rosemary Butler, Sheven Morris, Terry Woods
Organ [Hammond B3] - Billy Preston / Piano - Clarence McDonald / Trombone - Bob McChesney
Saxophone - Brandon Fields, Dave Boruff, Tom Saviano / Trumpet - Gary Grant, Wayne Bergeron
Vocals [Duet] - Gladys Knight

B4 - Over The Rainbow 4:54
Bass - Trey Henry / Bassoon - Dave Riddles, John Mitchell / Clarinet - Charles Boito, Don Markese
Cello - Armen Ksajikian, John Acosta , Larry Corbett, Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Yao Zhao
Double Bass [Contrabass] - Dave Stone, Karl Vincent, Kenneth Wild, Trey Henry / Drums - Ray Brinker
Flute - Greg Huckins, Steve Kujala / French Horn - Kurt Snyder, Phil Yao, Suzette Moriarty
Harp - Eleanore Choate / Oboe - Joseph Stone, Leanne Becknell / Percussion - Mark Converse, Wallace Snow
Piano - Randy Waldman / Timpani - Scott Higgins / Trombone - Alex Isles, Andrew Martin, Robert Sanders, Charlie Morillas
Trumpet - Dennis Farias, Larry Hall, Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron
Viola - Briana Bandy, David Stenske, Ed Persi, John Acevedo, Ray Tischer, Robert Berg, Sam Formicola
Violin - Alan Ellsworth, Anatoli Rosinsky, Charles Everett, David Kilbride, Dennis Molchan, Edith Markman,
Edmund Stein, Gerry Hilera, Kathleen Robertson, Kenneth Yerke, Michelle Richards, Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews,
Robert Matsuda, Todor Pelev, Vladimir Polimatidi, Xiao Niu He, Yaroslav Kettner, Zheng Wang
Vocals [Duet] - Johnny Mathis

B5 - Crazy Love (Live) 3:46
Backing Vocals - Fonzi Thornton, Tawatha Agee, Vaneese Thomas / Bass - David Hayes / Conductor - Rob Mathes
Drums - Shawn Pelton / Guitar - Jeff Mironov / Keyboards - Michael Beardon / Percussion - Bashiri Johnson
Tenor Saxophone - Charlie Pillow, Martin Winning / Trumpet - Jeff Kievit, Matthew Holland, Tony Kadleck
Vocals [Duet] - Van Morrison