Alabamy Bound

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on 29 March 1960.

John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

The liner notes stated that the song was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn.

(First track):


Live:
From 1961 to 1963 the tune was longlisted in concert souvenir programs as one of the tunes that potentially could be at played every gig. Unfortunately, no live recordings from this period have surfaced.

Basin Street Blues

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on March 25, 1960.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

According to the liner the notes, the tune was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

(Track #3):


Live:
Between 1961 and 1964 the song was longlisted in concert souvenir brochures as being part of the band's live repertoire. Live recordings have never surfaced, though.

Blue Hawaii

Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on March 25, 1960.

With the RayCharles Orchestra, strings and choir.

Arranged by Ralph Burns, the liner notes said, but in reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn.

(Track #11):


Live:
Concert souvenir brochures from 1961 to 1963 longlisted the tune as being part of the live repertoire of the band.

California, Here I Come

Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on March 29, 1960.

John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

Arranged by Ralph Burns (said the liner notes; in reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn).

(Track #7):


Live:
The song was part of the band's rehearsed live repertoire between 1961 and 1964.

Carry Me Back To Old Virginny (With The Raelettes)

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.
Single (B): ABC 10135, August 1960, b/w Georgia On My Mind.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on 29 March 1960.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass; The Raelettes - voc.

Arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns, according to the liner notes. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn.



O Gênio, São Paulo, 1963:


Live:
The song remained on the band's published longlists from 1961 to 1964.

63 LC Gênio

Chattanooga Choo-Choo

Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York City on March 25, 1960.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Fathead Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

According to the liner notes, the tune was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

(Last track:)


Live:
The song was longlisted for live shows in concert souvenir brochures from 1961 to 1964. No live recording has ever surfaced.

Deep In The Heart Of Texas

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York City on 29 March 1960.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.
According to the original liner notes, the tune was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, the song was probably charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

The speaking voice was producer Sid Feller's.

(Track #9):


Live:
The song was longlisted in concert souvenir brochures from 1961 to 1964 (and may have been specifically performed during gigs in Texas), but no live tapes of that period have ever emerged. Therefore it's a lucky thing that Austin City Limits invited The Genius in '79. The performance of this song was a very funny finale.

'79 LC Austin - Stream.

Georgia On My Mind

Ad clipped from Billboard, 
29 August 1960.

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.
Single (A): ABC 10135, August 1960, b/w Carry Me Back To Old Virginny.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on March 25, 1960.

With Milt Turner on drums and Edgar Willis on bass, uncredited strings, and choir.
According to the original liner notes, the song was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn.

Quincy Jones has also been credited for the live 'flute version' as played in the early '60s by the septet and the big band. The conversion of Georgia's original (string) arrangement for the live big band was probably done by René Hall.
For many years the Georgia theme (for that occasion called the Georgia Fanfare), together with a part of Roger Neumann's The Sandblaster, was played as Ray's walk-on tune. The Fanfare was arranged by René Hall.

(Track #2):


Perry Como Show, 1961:


Big T,N,T. Show, 1965:


Midnight Special, 1973:


Edmonton Symphony, 1981:


Montreux 1997:


Paris 2000 (with trio):

Live:
You could spend more than 15 hours on listening to the circa 170 live versions that have been recorded. And guess what - they're all brilliant.

'60 TV Playboy	'85 LC Antibes
'61 TV Como	'86 LC London
'61 LC Antibes - 3x - Released	'86 LC Lugano
'61 LC Zurich	'86 LC Toyohashi - Released
'61 LC Paris - 3x - Released	'86 LC Rio
'62 LC Berlin - Released	'86 TV Victoires
'62 LC Paris - Released	'87 LC Bourges
'64 LC England	'87 LC Antibes
'64 LC Shrine - Released	'87 FI Moonlighting - Spoof
'65 TV Shindig	'88 LC Oklahoma
'65 FI TNT - Released	'88 TV Willie
'67 LC Pleyel	'88 LC Leeuwin
'67 LC Berlin	'88 LC Ballet - 2x
'67 LC Melbourne	'88 LC Masson
'68 TV Bishop - Part of medley	'88 LC Saratoga
'68 LC Bakersfield	'88 DM Atlanta
'68 LC Amsterdam NM	'89 LC Ballet - Partial
'68 LC Paris - 2x	'89 TV Moulin
'68 LC Fresno	'89 LC Paris - 2x
'69 LC Paris	'89 LC Ghent
'70 TV Humperdinck	'89 LC Osaka
'70 LC FillmoreEast - First notes only	'90 RS Piano
'70 LC Paris '70 LC Geneva	'90 LC ArtPark
'71 LC San Carlos	'90 LC Antibes
'71 LC Torino	'90 LC Lloret
'71 LC Paris - 2x	'90 LC Tokyo BB
'72 LC Newport	'90 LC Dresden BB
'72 TV Cavett - Released	'90 LC Milan
'72 LC Copenhagen	'90 LC Rome
'72 LC Paris - 3x	'90 LC Caneção
'72 LC San Carlos	'90 LC Tokyo
'73 TV Midnight	'91 LC McCallum - Released
'73 LC Nassau	'91 LC Montreux - Released
'73 LC Germany - Pseudo-Basie - Released	'91 LC 50 Years - With Michael Bolton
'73 LC Arbor	'91 LC BlueNote
'73 LC Stockholm	'91 LC Milan
'75 TV Midnight NM	'92c TV Japan
'75 LC Brussels	'92 LC Japan
'75 TV Davis NM	'92 LC Antibes
'75 LC Madrid	'93 LC Leverkusen '93 LC Newport
'75 LC LatinCasino	'94 LC ValleyForge
'75 LC Japan - Released	'94 LC Moscow
'75 TV Cher - With Cher	'95 TV Tomba NM - With Giorgia
'76 LC Antibes	'95 LC Greenville
'76 LC Stuttgart	'95 LC Deauville
'77 TV Douglas NM	'95 LC Tramps - 6x - Streams available
'77 LC Gladys - With Gladys Knight - Released	'95 LC Marciac
78 TV MDA - 2x - a. With Jerry Lewis,      b. In medley	96 LC Atlantic City '96 LC Warsaw
78 LC Montreux - 2x - a. Medley,      b. w fathead - Released	96 LC London '96 LC Maribor
'78 LC Antibes - 2x	'96 LC Lugano
'78 LC Boston	'96 LC Montauk
'79 DM Georgia	'97 LC WolfTrap
'79 LC Antibes	'97 LC Saratoga
'79 LC Viareggio	'97 LC Philly '97 LC Northsea
'79 LC Austin	'97 LC Montreux - Released '97 TV Melbourne
'80 LC Pops	'98 CM QVC
'80 LC Northsea	'98 LC Charlotte NM
'80 TV Schneider	'99 LC Tulsa NM
'81 DM 20 - Fragment	'99 LC NewOrleans NM
'81 LC Edmonton - Released	'99 LC Glasgow
'81 LC Prague	'99 LC Rheingau
'81 LC Barcelona	'99 LC Miami - Released
'81 LC Rome	'99 LC Marciac
'81 LC Sanremo	00 TV Washington
'81 TV Country	00 LC Moscow
'82 LC Capital - Released	00 LC Basel 00 LC Warsaw
'82 TV Buddy	00 LC Paris - Released
'82 LC Antibes	00 RD JeeBee - With Trio Esperanza
'82 LC Beacon	01 LC Waterloo 01 LC Baltimore
'82 LC Washington	01 LC Antibes
'82 LC Japan - With George Yanagi	01 TV Michael
'83 TV Man	02 TV Colosseum
'83 DM Montreal	02 LC Travis - With Travis Tritt
'83 CL Antibes	02 LC Pasadena
'84 LC Austin	02 LC NewJersey
'84 LC Willie - With Willie Nelson - Rel.	03 LC Melbourne
'84 LC Viareggio	03 TV Land - With Choir
'84 LC Nancy	03 LC Whitehouse
'84 LC Warsaw - 2x - Released '84 LC Ithaca
'85 CM Georgia - Short version
'85 LC NewHaven

Mississippi Mud

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, 1960-07.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on 29 March 1960.

'Arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns', according to the liner notes. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

(Track #4):


Leverkusen 1993:


Live:
Remarkably, the tune turned up in playlists in 1961 (as published in souvenir programs of the time), but then it took Ray 36 years to 'find it back'.

'87 TV TS
'87 LC Antibes
'88 LC Masson
'88 LC Saratoga
'89 LC Paris - 2x
'89 LC Osaka
'90 LC ArtPark
'90 LC Antibes
'90 LC Lloret
'90 LC Dresden BB
'90 LC Italy
'90 LC Rome
'90 LC Tokyo
'91 LC BlueNote
'92 LC Antibes
'93 LC Leverkusen
'93 LC Newport
'94 LC ValleyForge
'94 LC Moscow
'95 LC Greenville
'95 LC Tramps - 2x
'95 LC Marciac
'96 LC London
'96 LC Lugano
'97 LC WolfTrap
'97 LC Saratoga
'97 LC Northsea
'97 LC Montreux - Released
'99 LC Glasgow
'00 LC Basel
'02 LC Pasadena

Moon Over Miami

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on 29 March 1960.

The liner notes say that the tune was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns. In reality, the tune was probably charted by Al Cohn.

Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass; uncredited strings and choir.

(Track #8):


Live:
In concert souvenir brochures from 1961 to 1964 the song was part of the band's repertoire list. No live recording has ever emerged.

Moonlight In Vermont

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at the Capitol Studios in New York on 25 March 1960.

With Milt Turner on drums and Edgar Willis on bass, strings and choir.

According to the liner notes, the song was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns; in reality, the tune was probably charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

(Track #5):


Live:
In concert souvenir brochures from 1961 to 1964 the song was part of the "possible" playlist. A live recording has never surfaced.

New York's My Home

Album: Album: Genius Hits the Road, ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.

Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York on 29 March 1960.

With John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass.

According to the liner notes, the tune was arranged by Ralph Burns. In reality, it was charted by Bob Brookmeyer.

(Track #6):


Live:
According to concert souvenir booklets from 1962 to 1964, this number was part of the live repertoire then, but no live recordings with the band have surfaced.

Genius Hits The Road (1960)

1. Alabamy Bound
2. Georgia On My Mind
3. Basin Street Blues
4. Mississippi Mud
5. Moonlight In Vermont
6. New York's My Home
7. California, Here I Come
8. Moon Over Miami
9. Deep In The Heart Of Texas
10. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
11. Blue Hawaii
12. Chattanooga Choo-Choo

This concept album was Ray’s first release on ABC. It featured the Ray Charles Orchestra, on a few tracks enhanced by symphonic string arrangements.
The album reached #9 on the pop album charts and scored a #1 hit single with Georgia On My Mind, which also won two Grammy Awards in 1960 for Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist and Best Performance Single Record or Track.

Liner notes (from UKrelease).

Personnel:
#2, 5, 8, 11: Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass. #1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12: John Hunt, Marcus Belgrave, Martin Banks - trumpet; David Newman - tenor saxophone, Hank Crawford - alto saxophone, Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone; Milt Turner - drums; Edgar Willis - bass. The Raelettes: ft. Margie Hendricks (only on #10). #2, 5, 8, 11: strings and choir. Produced by Sid Feller; arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns*. Sid Feller delivered the second (speaking) voice in #9.

Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York on 25 ( #2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12) and  29 March (#1, 4, 6, 7, 10) 1960.

*In this remarkable interview Bob Brookmeyer revealed that he, subbing for Burns, in fact arranged #1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 12, and that Georgia On My Mind, and probably most of the remaining tracks, were charted by Al Cohn.
The conversion of Georgia's original string arrangement for the big band was probably done by Rene Hall.

Soundclip:


ABC/Paramount 335, July 1960.