Ray Charles – The Great Ray Charles

The Great Ray Charles is the second studio album by American musician Ray Charles, released in 1957 by Atlantic Records. An instrumental jazz album, it afforded Charles a rare opportunity to be a jazz-oriented pianist.

Two selections are with a trio (bassist Oscar Pettiford joins Charles on “Black Coffee”), while the other six are with a septet taken from his big band of the period. Key among the sidemen are David Newman (soloing on both tenor and alto) and trumpeter Joseph Bridgewater; highlights include Quincy Jones’ “The Ray,” “My Melancholy Baby,” “Doodlin’, and “Undecided.” “Doodlin'” (written by Horace Silver and arranged by Quincy Jones) and “Sweet Sixteen Bars” generated much spontaneous radio airplay.

A great album and a point of distinction in Ray Charles’ Hall of Fame career, The Great Ray Charles 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP reissue from Analogue Productions is a stellar release and one Ray Charles fans will play often.