Ray Charles | ‘Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters’ (Coming Oct. 26th, 2010)

Unreleased Ray Charles Recordings are Focus of ‘Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters’

Oct. 26 Concord Records Release Features Surprise Duet with Johnny Cash

LOS
ANGELES, Calif. —Concord Records is celebrating the 80th birthday of
the legendary Ray Charles with a special gift for his legions of fans:
Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters. This treasure trove of newly
discovered recordings, highlighted by a duet with fellow icon Johnny
Cash, will become available at physical and digital retailers October
26, 2010.

Culled from four decades worth of demos and other
previously unreleased material, Rare Genius showcases the remarkable
artistic vision, stylistic range and emotionally rich vocals that
crafted Charles enduring legacy.

Listening to the ten gems from
the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s that comprise this CD, fans will have no trouble
envisioning the late singer rocking back and forth at the piano as he
effortlessly segues between R&B/soul, pop, country and gospel. “Ray
would always get inside the meaning of a lyric and make the listener
believe every word, ” says Concord Music Group Chief Creative Officer.
John Burk. “His vocals carried incredible emotion and intensity, even on
demo tapes. What we have here with Rare Genius is on par with some of
his greatest works.”

And that’s crystal clear right from the
album’s sparkling opener, “Love’s Gonna Bite You Back.” The March 1980
session track features an upbeat horn arrangement behind what Rare
Genius liner notes author Bill Dahl calls “a Charles vocal that’s a
signature mixture of sandpaper grit and heavenly goodness.” Up next is
the stunning ballad “It Hurts to Be in Love, ” which underscores the
album’s main thematic focus and one of Charles’ favorite subjects: the
ups and down of romance.

Another compelling standout is the
gospel-stirred Charles and Cash duet on Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me,
Lord?” Discovered in the Sony vaults, the song was produced by Billy
Sherrill in Nashville and recorded in 1981 for an anticipated release on
a CBS album. For unknown reasons, that didn’t come to pass. What’s more
important, however, is the emotional charge you get listening to these
two powerful voices come together in this spirited and inspired pairing.

Except
for “Lord, ” the nine other Rare Genius tracks including the
soul-drenched “I Don’t Want No One But You, ” a blues-infused cover of
songwriter Hank Cochran’s country classic “A Little Bitty Tear” and the
joyous “I’m Gonna Keep on Singin'” were found in the vault at Charles’
R.P.M. International studios in Los Angeles. Adding a little sweetening
to some of the sparse, stripped-down tracks was a team of top-notch
musicians and artists: guitarists Keb’ Mo’ and George Doering, organist
Bobby Sparks, trumpeter Gray Grant, trombonist Alan Kaplan, bassists
Trey Henry and Chuck Berghofer, drummers Gregg Field and Ray Brinker and
background vocalist Eric Benet.

As with its Concord predecessor,
2004’s Grammy-winning Album of the Year Genius Loves Company, Rare
Genius: The Undiscovered Masters is another fitting tribute to Charles,
who would have turned 80 on September 23. It’s a fresh, vibrant
reaffirmation of the music icon’s unparalleled artistry and legacy.

# # #

Rare Genius – The Undiscovered Masters
TRACK LIST:

1. Love’s Gonna Bite You Back (copyright control)
2. It Hurts To Be in Love (Julius Dixon-Rudolph Toombs)
3. Wheel of Fortune (Bennie Benjamin-George David Weiss)
4. I’m Gonna Keep on Singin’ (copyright control)
5. There’ll Be Some Changes Made (William Blackstone-Benton Overstreet)
6. Isn’t It Wonderful (Limuel Taylor-Joel Webster)
7. I Don’t Want No One But You (copyright control)
8. A Little Bitty Tear (Hank Cochran)
9. She’s Gone (copyright control)
10. Why Me, Lord? featuring Johnny Cash (Kris Kristofferson)