Artist:Ray Charles
Song:What'd I Say Parts 1 & 2
Album:The Very Best Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles was a huge influence on the soul sound of the 60s but by the time it became popular he wasn't doing it anymore. Charles became famous because of the gritty sound of songs like What'd I Say but when he left Atlantic for ABC in 1961, he seemed to prefer Country & Western. That was OK for a while but he lost a lot of fans by reverting to a softer style than his Atlantic recordings. So songs like What'd I Say are the benchmark for his music as opposed to duets with Willie Nelson. This Rhino budget comp has all his Atlantic hits on it. Ray Charles had just signed a new contract with Concord Jazz when he died of liver disease on June 10, 2004 at age 73. The CD was released shorty after his death. Of course the film Ray brought a lot of attention to his music too. Here's a video of Ray Charles performing What'd I Say in 1959.
Very sad news for jazz fans. Sax player Michael Brecker died on Saturday of leukemia at age 57. Mike was one of the best Coltrane influenced sax players of his generation. I've been a huge fan for many years. He will be missed. RIP Mike Brecker.
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