Soul Brother No. 1

Top 10 reasons why Ray Charles is a genius

A A A Comments (0) By Paul J. MacArthur Thursday, Sep 2 1999

7) The Great Ray Charles/The Genius After Hours (Rhino). Recorded in the late '50s when Charles was in the middle of defining soul music, this bebop date showed he was also a fine jazz pianist who could jam with the likes of Oscar Pettiford. So out of character is this album for Charles, if you play it for your friends and challenge them to guess the pianist, you could win a lot of money.

8) Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (ABC). In his autobiography, Brother Ray, Charles fondly recalls listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio while growing up in Georgia. Charles added his own bluesy twists to country standards, and the formula worked flawlessly. Country fans loved the authenticity. Soul fans dug Ray's unique twists. Everyone loved his passion.

See that guy with the glasses on! (Dah, dah, dah, dah!) He can give it to ya all night long!

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9) Ultimate Hits (Rhino). Just what the name implies. If you're a casual Charles fan who's not sure where to start, pick this up. The two-CD set has all of Charles's biggest hits and some of his lesser-known ones. The songs are great, and it's a good primer on Charles's pop/soul/R&B styles.

10) Soul Brothers/Soul Meeting (Atlantic/Rhino). These two records, now on one CD, were recorded in '58 and '62, and had paired Charles with Milt Jackson, the most influential jazz vibraphonist of the past 50 years. Forget about ego clashes; these two made great jazz like, well, soul brothers. Fine musicians making fine jazz. What more could you ask for?

Ray Charles performs with the Houston Symphony at Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana, on Friday, September 3, and Saturday, September 4, at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, September 5, at 7:30 p.m. Call (713)224-7575.