Ray Charles
Genius Loves Company
(Concord)
First Appeared in The Music Box, September 2004, Volume 11, #9
Written by John Metzger
Over the course of his nearly 60 years in the recording business, Ray Charles
left an indelible mark upon the face of jazz, blues, gospel, country, soul, and
rock ’n‘ roll, and although he put his career on cruise control for the better
part of the past three decades, there was always something about his
inspirational performances that made even his most mundane efforts seem as if
they were something truly special. Just prior to succumbing to liver disease in
June 2004, he completed work upon what inevitably would be his final album, a
series of surprisingly solid duets with an array of peers and admirers that
lovingly has been dubbed Genius Loves Company. Granted, the collection
isn’t in the same class as his finest efforts. The over-the-top string
arrangement that graces Elton John’s Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word;
the stodgy reinterpretation of You Don’t Know Me with Diana Krall; and
the yawn-inducing duet with Michael McDonald on the Carole King/Gerry Goffin-penned
nugget Hey Girl all threaten to derail the outing, although the aching
sorrow in Charles’ voice keeps even these lesser tracks afloat. On the other
hand, Genius Loves Company fares better than much of the legendary
performer’s latter day catalogue, thanks in part to some rather inspired and
interesting collaborations. From the fiery, horn-splattered treatment that he
and Gladys Knight lend to Heaven Help Us All to the spry rendition of
Fever that pairs him with Natalie Cole, and from the smoldering blues of
Sinner’s Prayer that features B.B. King to his playfully organic ruminations
with Norah Jones on Here We Go Again, Charles leaves this earthly realm
with a bang instead of a whimper by essentially inviting a variety of new fans
to sample from his savory musical stew. 
½
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Record of the Year
Here We Go Again
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Album of the Year
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Here We Go Again
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Pop Vocal Album
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Gospel Performance
Heaven Help Us All
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist
Over the Rainbow
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
47th Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Best Surround Sound Album
Genius Loves Company is available
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004 The Music Box