Fathead (Ray Charles Presents David Fathead Newman)

1. Hard Times
2. Weird Beard
3. Willow Weep for Me
4. Bill for Bennie
5. Sweet Eyes
6. Fathead
7. Mean to Me
8. Tin Tin Deo

By 1958 the "Ray Charles Sextet" (as it was sometimes announced) sounded at least as good as any of the other well known bands of the era - the Horace Silver group, the Art Blakey group, Cannonball's groups, or the Blue Note groups with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson. Ray Charles concluded that his 'small big band' was ready for a jazz album. David Newman's soloing took it to an even higher level.

The title Weird Beard was a reference to Marcus Belgrave's goatee.

Personnel:
David Newman - tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 8), alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 7); Ray Charles - piano; Marcus Belgrave - trumpet; Bennie (Hank) Crawford - baritone saxophone; Edgar Willis - bass; Milt Turner - drums. Arranged by by Hank Crawford.
Recording Engineer: Tom Dowd. Recording Date: November 5, 1958 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York.
Album: Atlantic 1304, January 1960.

Hard Times (from a Fathead gig at Fort Worth, in 2007):












Tin Tin Deo: audio here.