Ray Charles: 50 Years in Music

They called him "the Genius," and Ray Charles was certainly that. And not just because he virtually invented soul music, combined sacred and secular black styles to create something entirely new, and redefined country with his early '60s forays into that genre. No, the man deserved that heady imprimatur because in this tribute he's able to emerge from a duet with Michael Bolton with both his hearing and dignity unscathed. But as bad as Bolton may be on "Georgia on My Mind," when his egregious wailing tramples Brother Ray's subtle, soulful intro like an elephant in a pea patch, it's only one moment of what is by and large a pretty decent tip of the hat to a truly great musician (Ray, not Mike). Recorded a few days before his 60th birthday, in Pasadena, California, this 1991 show—presented in Dolby Digital stereo—finds Charles delivering the expected standards ("What'd I Say," "Georgia," "America the Beautiful"), along with a couple of less predictable tunes (the country-tinged "Just for a Thrill," the bluesy "Can't Keep a Good Man Down"). Meanwhile, Ray's ebullient duet with Stevie Wonder on "Livin' for the City" is wonderful, and his rapport with Willie Nelson comes through on "Busted," but—inevitably—it's a letdown when Ray leaves the stage and the likes of Randy Travis ("Your Cheatin' Heart"), Michael McDonald ("I Got a Woman"), and James Ingram ("I Can't Stop Loving You") take over. Those guys are good, but this is Ray Charles we're talkin' about here! In the end, any Ray is good Ray, but it would have been nice to have a little more of him. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (S. Graham)