Genius After Hours - The Great Ray Charles
Ray Charles is such a great, expressive singer that his piano prowess is often overlooked, to say nothing of his alto saxophone playing. This disc shows that Ray was not only a better bluesman than most people know, but also a pianist at home in the hard bop context, if bluesier than most jazz pianists of his generation. In addition, saxophonists Hank Crawford and David "Fathead" Newman, whose respective sounds were as much a part of the classic Charles style as was the leader, turn in fine solos throughout. Truly a must for fans of Charles' powerful overall style.--Skip Heller