Concord Announces New Ray Charles Compillation

Concord Records has been actively rereleasing many of the great Ray Charles 60's albums. As promised back in the fall, they are now readying a 21-track compilation of his greatest hits. Ray Charles - Genius: The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection will hit the streets on April 7 and contains tracks from both the Atlantic and ABC/Paramount labels, from I've Got a Woman to 1972's America the Beautiful , recently released digitally for the Obama inauguration.

Jazz writer Dan Heckman writes the liner notes on the album and says "The first feeling that comes to mind after even a short glance at the titles included here is a sense of wonder. The diversity of the material is impressive in its own right - blues, of course, transformed gospel songs, country tunes, an American Songbook standard, a Beatles classic and a climactic American anthem. But more than that, it's what he does with all these variegated numbers. Good singers can do great interpretations. Great singers like Charles possess the material in a way that makes a song their own, while remaining true to the essence of each."

Partial track list:

• Hit the Road Jack
• What'd I Say (Part 1)
• Busted
• I Can't Stop Loving You
• Unchain My Heart
• Georgia On My Mind
• I Got a Woman
• You Are My Sunshine
• Take These Chains From My Heart
• Hide Nor Hair
• Let's Go Get Stoned
• You Don't Know Me
• Hallelujah I Love Her So
• Crying Time
• I'm a Fool For You
• One Mint Julep
• Here We Go Again (duet with Betty Carter)
• Yesterday
• America the Beautiful
• Two Additional Tracks