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.