Ray Charles' Zurich 1961 Concert Released

Cover CD booklet.

A while ago my inquiries at the Swiss Radio archives resulted in the discovery of a set of 2 edited tapes with parts of a Jazzkonzert by the Ray Charles Big Band at the Kongresshaus in Zürich, on October 18, 1961.
This concert is now part of an abundant "Swiss Radio Days Jazz" CD-series with post-WWII radio concerts, issued by TCB, "the Montreux Jazz Label", a sub label of Challenge Records.

Any new album with Ray Charles materials is good news (especially when the songs originate from the early 1960s), and this was an excellent concert. But... well, let's say that this one is far from perfect as a CD release because, unfortunately and without due respect, an awful mistake was made, and the liner notes are crap.

From the concert's souvenir
brochure.

Why is the CD-title presenting the Ray Charles Orchestra, where it should be Ray Charles (or Ray Charles, the Ray Charles Orchestra and the Raelettes)?
And WHY in Genius' name was the excellent rendition of My Bonnie omitted (listen to the Youtube file below)?

The notes lack any relevant historical context (but you can go here to compensate that). They include nonsense, for instance a complaint about the quality of the original recording not doing "full justice to [Ray Charles'] piano playing, at times strangely behind in the mix of the time..." - pointing at the instrumentals where Ray, as per usual, simply didn't participate. And they include many factual mistakes (like attributing the arrangement of Come Rain Or Come Shine to Quincy Jones; a similar attribution i.c. Ray Minor Ray is questionable at least).

Ray Charles Orchestra - Zurich 1961. TCB (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series #41), [2016]. The CD is also streamed by Deezer (probably only in Europe).
For sale through most European music webshops and, as long as the rights owners allow it, also via Amazon USA.

My Bonnie (tenor solo by Don Wilkerson):

Along Came Betty (The Ray Charles Orchestra)

Album: Ray Charles Orchestra - Zurich 1961. TCB (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series #41), [2016].

Written by Benny Golson. Arranged by Quincy Jones.
Solo: Marcus Belgrave on trumpet.

Personnel during the October 1961 Europe tour: Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt - trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Leon Comegys, James Lee Harbert, Keg Johnson - trombones; Hank Crawford (band leader), Rudy Powell - alto saxophones; David Newman - tenor saxophone, flute; Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Bruno Carr - drums; Sonny Forriest - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass.

Benny Golson's great story on the genesis of the tune:


Live:
'61 LC Zurich
'61 LC Paris - 3x

Ghana (The Ray Charles Orchestra)

Fathead in Paris (photo by J.P. Leloir).

Ray Charles Orchestra - Zurich 1961. TCB (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series #41), [2016].

The band was only recorded playing this instrumental during their brief Europe tour in October 1961. Written by Ernie Wilkins, arranged by Quincy Jones.

David Fathead took the solo on flute, Leroy Cooper on bari, and Sonny Forriest on guitar.

The complete line-up: Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt - trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Leon Comegys, James Lee Harbert, Keg Johnson - trombones; Hank Crawford (alto saxophone, band leader), Rudy Powell - alto saxophone; David Newman - tenor saxophone, flute; Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Bruno Carr - drums; Sonny Forriest - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass.

'61 LC Zurich
'61 LC Paris - 3x

Happy Faces (The Ray Charles Orchestra)

Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt,
Kurt Mohr, David Newman.

Album: Ray Charles Orchestra - Zurich 1961. TCB (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series #41), [2016].

The Ray Charles Big Band, on their first brief Europe tour in October 1961, played this Sonny Stitt composition at least four times. Arranged by Quincy Jones. David Fathead Newman solo'ed on tenor saxophone.

With Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt (flugelhorn) - trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Leon Comegys, James Lee Harbert, Keg Johnson - trombones; Hank Crawford (alto saxophone, band leader), Rudy Powell - alto saxophone; David Newman - tenor saxophone, flute; Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Bruno Carr - drums; Sonny Forriest - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass.

Live:
'61 LC Zurich
'61 LC Paris - 3x

Misty (The Ray Charles Band, Ft Hank Crawford)

Album: Ray Charles Orchestra - Zurich 1961. TCB (Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series #41), [2016].

Recorded during the Ray Charles Big Band's first concert in Europe by Radio Basel at the Kongresshaus in Zürich on October 18, 1961.
The performance of Misty is the only known live recording of this song by the Ray Charles Band. Crawford's original studio version was released on his 1961 album More Soul (Atlantic SD 1356; also released as a single on Atlantic 45-5013), but this live rendition is even more soulful.

I guess the wonderful sound accompanying Crawford (who of course excells on alto) is produced by the core members of the old Ray Charles septet, who also worked on More Soul: Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt - trumpet; Hank Crawford - alto saxophone; David Newman - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Edgar Willis - bass; Bruno Carr (replacing Milt Turner) - drums.

Ray Charles & His Orchestra Live In Zurich (1961)

"Begleitzettel"
(recto) of the tapes.

The Ray Charles Big Band's First Concert In Europe (1961) was recorded by Radio Basel (now part of Radio SRF 2 Kultur). My inquiries at their archives have resulted in the discovery of a set of 2 edited tapes with parts of this  "Jazzkonzert" by the "Ray Charles Big Band" at the "Kongresshaus Zürich" on "Mittwoch [Wednesday] 18. Oktober 1961" at 8.30 p.m. The tapes entail 22 tracks with 18* of the tunes that were performed that day:

1. Happy Faces / Sonny Stitt (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solo DN - ts (3'00")
2. Along Came Betty / Benny Golson (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solo MB - tp (3'19")
3. My Baby (I Love Her, Yes I Do) / Ray Charles (with The Raelettes) - ft. MH (4'26")
4. Sticks And Stones / Titus Turner (with The Raelettes) (3'33")
5. Georgia On My Mind / Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell - solo DN - fl (6'20")
6. Blue Stone / Hank Crawford (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solos HC - as; PG - tp; DW - ts; RC? - as (7'06")
7. Margie / Benny Davis, Con Conrad, J. Russell Robinson (2'51")
8. Hit The Road Jack / Percy Mayfield (with The Raelettes) (2'32")
9. Birth Of A Band / Quincy Jones (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solos DN, DW - ts (chase); BC - d (3'54")
10. I Remember Clifford / Benny Golson (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solo JH - fh (5'26")
11. Come Rain Or Come Shine / Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen - solo DW - ts (7'06")
12. Ghana / Ernie Wilkins (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solos DN - fl; LC - bs; SF - g (4'15")
13. I Believe To My Soul / Ray Charles (with The Raelettes) (4'04")
14. I've Got News For You / Roy Alfred (4'30")
15. Misty / Erroll Garner (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solo HC - as (7'54")
16. My Bonnie / Standard; arr. Ray Charles (with The Raelettes) - solo DN - ts (3'45")
17. I Wonder / Cecil Gant, Raymond Leveen (with The Raelettes) (3'44")
18. Ray Minor Ray / Benny Golson (Ray Charles Orchestra) - solos DW, DN - ts; EW - b (4'02")

Status
The archived tapes probably do not represent the order of the original setlist. The band-only instrumentals (#01, 02, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18) were almost always played before the intermission. At the end of #6 (Blue Stone), though, you can clearly hear Ray Charles say "All right!", which makes it probable that for this song The Genius played one or more of the solo parts on alto (just as he did in 1962, in Paris).

After #8 one can hear Ray call for "I Got News", and after #11 for "Hallelujah I Love Her So". From a contemporary review in Le Matin - Tribune de Lausanne, and from handwritten notes in the souvenir brochure of Hans Philippi, one could conclude that Alexander's Ragtime Band, Let The Good Times Roll, Moanin', and What'd I Say (and possibly Whisper Not) were also on the Zürich setlist...

The quality of the (mono) recording is excellent (though, a bit unfortunately, the 'audience noise' was suppressed almost completely).
Assuming that Radio Basel at the time has broadcast the tunes in the order of the tapes, it's impossible to conceive what kind of storyline the program maker was following.

Personnel 

Musicians: Ray Charles - piano, vocals; Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt (flugelhorn) - trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Leon Comegys, James Lee Harbert, Keg Johnson - trombones; Hank Crawford (alto saxophone, band leader), Rudy Powell - alto saxophone; David Newman - tenor saxophone, flute; Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Bruno Carr - drums; Sonny Forriest - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass. Announcer: prob. Hank Crawford. The Raelettes:  Priscilla “Pat” Moseley Lyles, Margie Hendricks, Gwen Berry, Darlene McCrea - vocals.

Historical importance
This, so far, is the first-ever recording of the Ray Charles big band. The troupe appeared in its second known line-up, but sounded very well rehearsed (Ray's old small big band still formed the nucleus of the group)**. The ensemble play was very tight. Since Ray Charles only played piano, not Hammond, at this gig, the sound of the band as a whole is radically different from the concerts that were staged 2 days later, in Paris.
Misty (#15) is the only known live recording of this song by the Ray Charles Orchestra. Crawford's original studio version is known from his 1961 album More Soul (Atlantic SD 1356; the tune was also released as a single on Atlantic 45-5013), but this wonderful rendition is even more soulful. The tune's occurrence on the setlist is unexpected (it was e.g. never mentioned in any contemporary souvenir brochure's repertoire list).***
The extended outro of #4 (Sticks And Stones) sounds a lot like some early live versions of I've Got A Woman. As to be expected, #11 (Come Rain Or Come Shine) got yet another bone chilling rendition with Don Wilkerson on tenor. #10 and #14 are very early live recordings of I Remember Clifford, with an excellent solo on flugelhorn by John Hunt, and I've Got News For You.

Unfortunately My Bonnie was omitted from the 2016 CD release:

Special thanks
To Mario Schneeberger, who put me on the right trail, and to Peter Bürli, Redaktionsleiter Jazz at SRF 2 Kultur, who kindly allowed me to listen to the Radio Basel tapings.

* Announcements to some of the tunes were edited on 4 separate, numbered tracks (left out from the list above). The two tapes (with resp. #10-18 on tape "1" and #01 - 09 on tape "2A"), are archived by SFR under ID number BS_MG_FLU_6554_K01. ** Actually, with the exception of the July concerts in Antibes, Ray played that year with an "augmented" orchestra [i.e. big band] from April to December. *** Brother Ray recorded Misty much later, playing piano, with Steve Turre (album: In The Spur Of The Moment (Telarc B00004TUOZ, 1999). 

The Ray Charles Big Band's First Concert In Europe (1961)*

For an update of this article, read this.

Ad for Ray Charles' first big band concert in Europe, on October 18, 1961 at the Kongresshaus-Bühne in Zurich.
From the Hans Philippi Collection (curated by Mario Schneeberger).

Pages from the Zurich concert's souvenir brochure.
Collection Mario Schneeberger.

Invitation and ticket for exclusive 'after party' organized by the New Jazz Club Zurich, with band members Rudy Powell, Keg Johnson, Dickie Wells and Henderson Chambers as honorary guests.
From the Hans Philippi Collection (curated by Mario Schneeberger).

The concert's review in Le Matin - Tribune de Lausanne.
From the Hans Philippi Collection (curated by Mario Schneeberger).

The line-up no doubt was similar to the one in Paris, a few days later: musicians - Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt - trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Leon Comegys, James Lee Harbert, Keg Johnson - trombones; Hank Crawford (alto saxophone, band leader), Rudy Powell - alto saxophone; David Newman - tenor saxophone, flute; Don Wilkerson - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Bruno Carr - drums; Sonny Forriest - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass;  Raelettes - Priscilla “Pat” Moseley Lyles, Margie Hendricks, Gwen Berry, Darlene McCrea.

From an annotated page in Hans Philippi's copy of the souvenir program (not reproduced here) and from the review in the Tribune de Lausanne, it's possible to reconstruct (most of) the setlist (I'm quoting the solo attributions from the newspaper review):

• Whisper Not
• Happy Faces
• I Remember Clifford (JH - bg)
• ?Gone? (DN - fl)
• Ghana
• Moanin' (PG - tp)
• Let The Good Times Roll (HC - tb)
• Georgia On My Mind
• Come Rain Or Come Shine (DW - ts)
• Alexander's Ragtime Band (with The Raelettes) (JH - bg)
• ?Greenbacks? (with The Raelettes) (DN - ts)
• I Wonder
• Margie
• What'd I Say (RC - ep)

Gone is a title unknown to me (or did the newspaper critic refer to a performance of When Your Lover Is Gone?). Greenbacks (also mentioned in the review) is a complete surprise in this live context (and, I'd say,  probably incorrect). The specification of Ray playing electric piano on What'd I Say may well indicates that he did not play his Hammond at all in Zurich.
There is a rumor that the concert was taped and/or broadcast by a Swiss radio station, and that a digital copy of the recording has survived. It would be marvelous if that copy would surface one of these days.

* Special thanks to Mario Schneeberger, who generously scanned & shared the documents reproduced above.