Ray Charles, Genius & Friends

reviewed by j.d. lafrance

When an acclaimed artist dies the proverbial floodgates open and everything in their back catalogue is fair game. They end up becoming more prolific than when they were alive. Unfortunately, quality control tends to go out the window as everything and anything is released in attempt to cash in on the artist’s death. To this end, we have the posthumously released Ray Charles album, Genius & Friends, a sequel of sorts to Genius Loves Company which also featured Ray Charles singing with a wide variety of gifted vocalists. This latest effort follows that album’s previous M.O. by mixing classic singers like Patti LaBelle with new, up-and-comers like Leela James. The album is produced by Phil Ramone who was responsible for the similarly structured Frank Sinatra album Duets, which also featured a legend teaming up with various vocalists.

The strongest tracks on the album are the ones in which Charles sings with the new vanguard of "Neo-Soul". He kicks things off with a slow jam, “All I Want to Do” with Angie Stone. It has that laid-back, late night vibe her silky smooth stylings work well with Charles’ vocals. On “Compared to What” he teams up with Leela James who is perfectly suited for this song with her strong, commanding voice that harkens back to classic Atlantic Records singers like Aretha Franklin. They are ably backed by an excellent horns section and blistering guitar work. Surprisingly, the track with Alicia Keys, a larger than life cover of “America the Beautiful,” is a bit of let-down. Not because of Keys or Charles but it just doesn’t feel like the right song for these two. It would’ve been great to hear them jam on a classic Charles song, like “(Night Time Is) The Right Time.”

The tracks done with established artists are a mixed bag. “It All Goes By So Fast” with Mary J. Blige is a little on the bland side, arrangement-wise, but is saved by the heartfelt singing of Charles and Blige whose voices are drenched with emotion. However, Charles kicks it big band-style with Chris Isaak on “You Are My Sunshine,” which grooves with an infectious up-tempo rhythm, complete with backing singers that is definitely one of the highlights of the album as it evokes some Charles’ vintage Atlantic records period.

It is with the more established singers where the album tends to go on autopilot. The tracks with Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and Patti LaBelle are fine in their own right but are really nothing to write home about. The live version of “Busted” (recorded way back in 1991) with Willie Nelson is excellent, while “Imagine” with Ruben Studdard of American Idol fame is forgettable. Thanks to the success of Jamie Foxx’s intense performance in the biopic Ray (2004), Ray Charles is enjoying a much-deserved resurgence in popularity. Genius & Friends is a mixed bag to be sure but there is enough solid tracks to warrant purchasing the album.