Search - Ray Charles :: Recipe for Soul

Al V. (Al) from HOOVER, AL
Reviewed on 5/9/2007...

Some great tracks here. It's Ray, you can't go wrong.

Ingredients In A Recipe For Greatness!

Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 06/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I will miss Brother Ray.He like Louie Armstrong,Duke Ellington,Sam Cooke and even John Lennon were extrodinary souls
who's existance went far behind the great music they made.And we
may have have never said enough.His soulful wail and hard-hitting piano are there in classic form on "Busted",starting an
album that otherwise showcases orchestrated,arranged songs.But his deep,bluesy version of "Ol' Man River",sung in that way that
always makes you believe Charles was experiencing what he sang
AS he was SINGING IT!It's easily equal to Paul Roebson's classic
interpretaion of the song.Benny Carter arranges the wonderously
soulful instrumental "In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)".
He swings out in fine style on "Ol' Man Time" and utterly
transforms "Over The Rainbow"'s central character from winsome
Kansas farm girl into a desperate man searching for a more
tolerant future-more a civil rights anthem then a movie song.
Ray Charles ability to write kickin',gutbucket soul as well as
interpret the songs of others in such a way to make them as much
his own as the songs he wrote are in full effect here!And yes-
it wasn't until his untimely death did I choose to write this
review so,to anyone unlucky enough to be just getting into Ray's
music at this particular stage,his unique music and it's many
colors of brown,black and certainly blue would be fully appreciated.That way Ray Charles will live forever!"