 | |
List Price: $18.98 | | Label: Concord Records
Salesrank: 13004
Released: October 3, 2006 |
| Our Price: $3.49 |
| Used Price: $1.13 |
|
| Media: Audio CD |
|
Ray Sings, Basie Swings Track Listing:
1. Oh What A Beautiful Morning
2. Let The Good Times Roll
3. How Long Has This Been Going On?
4. Every Saturday Night
5. I Can't Stop Loving You
6. Cryin' Time
7. Busted
8. Come Live With Me
9. Feel So Bad
10. The Long And Winding Road
11. Look What They've Done To My Song
12. Georgia On My Mind
Editorial Review:
The producers of this CD discovered archival reels of Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra performing live together in 1973. Although the vocals were superior, the remaining elements were or extremely poor quality. They decided to bring the current Count Basie Orchestra into the studio and, using the latest technology, they carefully and painstakingly laid down a new musical backdrop for Charles' towering vocals.
More from Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra
Genius Loves Company | 
Ultimate Hits Collection | 
Ray!Soundtrack |
America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years | 
Count Basie at Newport | 
Swing Shift |
Description of Ray Sings, Basie Swings:
To fake or not to fake: That is the question consumers must answer for themselves in assessing this feat of aural Photoshopping: an "imaginary concert" created by combining recently discovered soundboard tapes of Ray Charles's vocals from a mid-'70s European show and newly recorded backing by the Count Basie Orchestra--the "ghost band," still on the road 22 years after Count's passing. Charles is in exceptional voice, singing the heck out of standards like "How Long Has This Been Going On?," Genius classics like "Busted," and pop covers like Melanie's "Look What They've Done to My Song." His performance is a thrilling corrective to forgettable posthumous albums like Genius Loves Company, designed to cash in on the new audience created for him by the movie Ray. But as competently as the Basie band fill in the blanks under the direction of Bill Hughes, with Joey DeFrancesco guesting on organ, most of the new arrangements are rather pallid, and the ensemble lacks the personality of both the Basie orchestra and Charles's best groups. And as attractive as Ray Sings, Basie Swings may be for the casual listener, the gimmickry will appall serious fans, particularly since neither Charles nor Basie--who never collaborated in life--was around to lend his approval. Is The Doors Sing, Woody Herman Swings next? --Lloyd Sachs
Ray Sings, Basie Swings Reviews:
Ray Charles is Still Ray Charles 
2009-12-18 - Just based on "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," this CD is worth it. What can you say? You can tell the big band is an overdub because of the difference in room sound between the vocal and the band. But so what. Ray Charles could SING.
A great piece of work 
2009-12-01 - I first heard of this work from youtube and decided to buy the CD. First off, there's no way of telling that the instruments were not part of the original singing by Mr. Ray Charles, or for that matter that the singing was done some decades back. Secondly, listening through the CD one get to appreciate the work that went into producing the CD. It's a great CD indeed and probably among a few I can listen from the first to the last track without skipping a track.
So, if you enjoy jazz-blues-big band-type of music you sure will not regret buying this CD, it has been BEAUTIFULLY done! I am sorry that I can't quite express so much in words my true appreciation of this CD; so I hope my taking of time to write this review will assuage you give the CD a try.
Good Listening 
2009-05-20 - I read the earlier reviews; they are informative and appreciated. Bottom Line for me is ... It sounds good and I LIKE IT.
Listenable... but there's so much that is better 
2009-04-24 - Ray Sings, Basie Swings isn't a bad album... it just isn't very good.
Other people have commented on the sound quality of this CD. For my tastes Ray's voice is flat and the Basie Orchestra isn't exactly on fire. So what...
But in world where you can buy any one of a dozen of Ray Charles or The Count's best albums for less money than this album, why would you settle for this one?
And you would get so much more out of them. This album is practically throwaway by comparison.
For Ray Charles, try Genius Sings Soul, Genius Hits the Road, or Soul Brothers.
For Count Basie, pick up Atomic Basie (or just about anything else he recorded WHILE HE WAS ACTUALLY ALIVE).
Get it if you want it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Just don't prepare to be amazed, because you won't be.
Phenomenal!
2008-12-18 - This record sounds fantastic! Hats off to everybody involved with the project. Close your eyes, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Quincy Jones is right on the mark, as usual, with his remark that this record is one for the ages! Yes indeed it is!!!
