The Dick Cavett Show - Ray Charles Collection (2005) [2xDVD]

Dick Cavett made no secret of his tremendous admiration for Ray Charles, and had the trailblazing musician on his ABC talk show three times during its 1969-1973 run, including one appearance in which Charles was Cavett's sole guest for the entire 90 minutes. Charles' three visits to The Dick Cavett Show are collected on this two-DVD set, which takes the unusual task of presenting the complete shows as they were originally broadcast (minus commercials), rather than simply excerpting Ray's musical numbers. In addition to preserving some marvelous music from Ray Charles, The Dick Cavett Show: The Ray Charles Collection also allows us to hear Cavett's intelligent and perceptive interviews with the singer, as well as his equally fascinating banter with his other guests (who include Margaret Mead, Tony Randall, and then-mayor of New York City John Lindsay, the latter interview offering a great "time machine" moment as he discusses the then-unfolding Watergate crisis with Cavett). The three episodes have been transferred to disc in their original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the source materials look quite good considering their age, with the colors bright but not overpowering and the images sharp. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo, with the transfer maintaining the original single-channel mix. The sound is typical television quality for the mid-'70s (the sad state of which Charles bemoans more than once), but isn't intrusive at all. As a bonus, Cavett has recorded brief new introductions for these three shows, as well as an interview in which he discusses working with Charles, his love of his music, and their infamous duets on "Am I Blue." Anyone who is a fan of either Ray Charles' genre-spanning musical genius or Dick Cavett's clever and thoughtful interviewing style will certainly enjoy this set, and Shout Factory has brought it to DVD with both style and good taste.

Tracklist:
DVD1
Episode One - June 26, 1972 Ray Charles Also Featuring Tondall, Margaret Mead
01. America the Beautiful [6:49]
02. Blues for Big Scotia [4:42]
03. Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett) [8:27]
Episode Two - January 26, 1973
01. I Feel So Bad [3:38]
02. Georgia on My Mind [8:57]
03. Eleanor Rigby [1:52]
04. I Can't Stop Loving You [4:32]
05. Lift Every Voice and Sing [2:32]
06. America the Beautiful [6:43]
07. Shake [6:05]
08. Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett) [10:38]

DVD2
Episode Three - July 9, 1973 Ray Charles Also Featuring John Lindsay, Dr. Samuel Rosen
01. I Fell So Bad [7:10]
02. Born to Lose [8:18]
03. Am I Blue (duet with Dick Cavett) [8:53]
Bonus Featurette: Gavett Remembers Ray


Features:
- Direct Scene Access
- Interactive Menu