The The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years [Blue Vinyl]

by Ray Charles

Overview

Taking one of the most interesting bodies of work in the history of American music and trying to narrow it down to one 20-song compact disc would seem to be the sort of project that's doomed to failure, and there's little arguing that this collection of Ray Charles's classic Atlantic Records sides merely skims the surface of some of the most groundbreaking music in the history of rhythm and blues. But that's not to say that the surface in question isn't quite satisfying, and as an introduction to Charles's most crucial period of creative growth, The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years offers nearly all the hits, some choice lesser-known cuts, and an admirably accurate representation of his creative arc from this period, starting with rough-and-tumble jump blues such as "It Should've Been Me" and "Greenback" and growing into heartfelt but sophisticated proto-soul masterpieces like "What'd I Say" and "Drown in My Own Tears". One disc simply isn't enough to tell Ray Charles's full musical story from this period, but what is here is all top-shelf stuff, and the selection and sequence of this collection should please both longtime fans looking for a portable sampler and neophytes easing their way into Ray's Atlantic catalog. The mastering and packaging is done with Rhino's typical degree of care, and besides, who wouldn't enjoy a disc with "I Got a Woman," "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," "Lonely Avenue," "Night Time (Is the Right Time)," and "This Little Girl of Mine" on it? (By the way, if you happen to be the type who wouldn't enjoy a disc like that, you might want to ask yourself just why you're reading record reviews in the first place.) ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/26/2021
Label:	Atlantic / Rhino
UPC:	0603497845224
Rank:	31366

Tracks

Disc 1

1. It Should Have Been Me
2. Don't You Know
3. Blackjack
4. I've Got a Woman
5. What Would I Do Without You
6. Greenbacks
7. Come Back Baby
8. A Fool for You
9. This Little Girl of Mine
10. Hallelujah, I Love Her So

Disc 2

11. Lonely Avenue
12. It's All Right
13. Ain't That Love
14. Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'bout That River)
15. That's Enough
16. What'd I Say, Pts. 1 & 2
17. The Right Time
18. Drown in My Own Tears
19. Tell the Truth (With Introduction) [Live at Alonzo Herndon Stadium, Atlanta, GA, May 28, 1959]
20. Just for a Thrill

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ray Charles   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Piano (Electric)
Panama Francis   Drums
Todd Sommer   Drums
Bob Brookmeyer   Trombone,Trombone (Valve)
The Cookies   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
James Bell   Bass
Connie Kay   Drums
John Hunt   Trumpet
Wallace Davenport   Trumpet
Freddie Mitchell   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Don Wilkerson   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Vocals (Background)
Lloyd Lambert   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Wendell Marshall   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Sam "The Man" Taylor   Sax (Tenor)
Jesse Drakes   Trumpet
Ralph Burns   Director
Jerry Wexler   Tambourine
Ricky Harper   Trumpet
Renald Richard   Vocals
Mickey Baker   Guitar
Oscar Moore   Drums
David "Fathead" Newman   Saxophone,Sax (Alto),Sax (Bass),Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone),Vocals (Background)
Mary Ann Fisher   Vocals (Background)
Milt Turner   Drums
Marcus Belgrave   Trumpet
Mongo Santamaria   Congas
David "Panama" Francis   Drums
Candido Camero   Congas
Cecil Payne   Sax (Bass),Sax (Baritone)
Hank Crawford   Sax (Baritone)
Richie Goldberg   Drums
Edgar Willis   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Frank Mitchell   Trumpet
Lloyd Trotman   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Harry Lookofsky   Conductor
The Raelettes   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Margie Hendrix   Vocals
Allan Hanlon   Guitar
Jimmy Bell   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
O'Neil Gerald   Sax (Alto)
Charles Whitley   Trumpet
Allen Harlow   Guitar
Warren Bell   Saxophone,Sax (Baritone)
Dave McRae   Sax (Bass),Sax (Baritone)
Riley Webb   Trumpet
Lee Harper   Trumpet
Pinky Williams   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Joe Tillman   Sax (Tenor)
Joe Bridgewater   Trumpet
William Peeples   Drums
Joshua Willis   Trumpet
Emmett Dennis   Saxophone,Sax (Baritone)
Teagle Fleming   Drums
Bennie Hank Crawford   Sax (Bass)
Glenn Brooks   Drums
Roosevelt Sheffield   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Allen Hanlon   Guitar
Wesley Jackson   Guitar
Paul E. West   Bass
Paul West   Guitar (Bass)
Ted Sommer   Drums
McHouston "Mickey" Baker   Guitar

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Ray Charles   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist
Bernard Besman   Composer
Billy Vera   Liner Notes
Doc Pomus   Composer
Don Raye   Composer
Lil Hardin Armstrong   Composer
Leo Sacks   Liner Notes
Lowman Pauling   Composer,Lyricist
Lil Armstrong   Composer
Nesuhi Ertegun   Producer
Ralph Burns   Arranger
Jerry Wexler   Producer
Jesse Stone   Arranger
Nappy Brown   Composer
Renald Richard   Composer
Memphis Curtis   Composer,Lyricist
Ozzie Cadena   Composer
Herb Abramson   Producer
Ahmet Ertegun   Producer
Yves Beauvais   Producer,Compilation Producer
Walter Davis   Composer
Lew Herman   Composer
Henry Glover   Composer
Lee Friedlander   Photography
Napoleon Brown   Composer
Zenas Sears   Producer
Geoff Gans   Artwork