Ray Charles 6 Times Live At Tramps, NYC (1995)

Ray Charles at Tramps. David Hoffman in the background. Photo by Rahav Segev.

In 1995, from September 7 to 9, Ray Charles and his band were booked for Tramps' 20th Anniversary Celebration in New York. I posted before about one - bootlegged - concert in these series (identical to show #5, below). But recently Wolfgang's (Concert) Vault decided to make no less than six of the Tramps shows available for their subscribers.* This may seem a bit too abundant, but the good news is that the sound quality of these recordings is much better than the bootleg's.

1. 7 September 1995, early show 

1. Introduction show + Just Friends (Ray Charles Orchestra)
2. Introduction show
3. Introduction Ray Charles + Riding Thumb
4. Busted
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
7. How Long Has This Been Going On
8. Teardrops From My Eyes
9. If I Could
10. Blues For Big Scotia
11. Intro Raelettes (by RC)
12. You Better Watch Them Dogs
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. What'd I Say
15. Outro

2. 7 September 1995, late show

1. Intro show + Fire Up (Ray Charles Orchestra)
2. Intro Ray Charles
3. Intro RC (cont'd) + Then We'll Be Home (Sadies Tune)
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Some Enchanted Evening [Part 1]
6. Some Enchanted Evening [Part 2]
7. Just For A Thrill
8. You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)
9. A Song For You
10. Stranger In My Own Home Town
11. Intro Raelettes (by RC)
12. Knock On Wood
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. I Believe To My Soul
15. What'd I Say
16. Outro

3. 8 September 1995, early show 

1. Intro show + Viewpoint (Ray Charles Orchestra)
2. Intro Ray Charles
3. Marie
4. Margie
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
7. Yours
8. Teardrops From My Eyes
9. A Song For You
10. Stranger In My Own Home Town
11. Intro Raelettes (by RC)
12. Chain Of Fools
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. I Believe To My Soul
15. What'd I Say
16. Outro (Part 1)
17. Outro (Part 2)

4. 8 September 1995, late show

1. Intro show + BBC (Ray Charles Orchestra)
2. Announcer begging audience to be more quiet
3. The Bright Lights And You Girl
4. Busted
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Mississippi Mud
7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
8. You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)
9. A Song For You
10. Blues For Big Scotia
11. Intro Raelettes (by RC) + I Want Your Love
12. I Can't Stop Loving You
13. What'd I Say
14. Outro

5. 9 September 1995, early show 

1. Intro show + High On The Hogg (The Ray Charles Orchestra)
2. Intro Ray Charles
3. Let The Good Times Roll
4. Margie
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Mississippi Mud
7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
8. Teardrops From My Eyes
9. If I Could
10. Blues For Big Scotia
11. Intro Raelettes
12. You Better Watch Them Dogs
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. Smack Dab In The Middle
15. I Believe To My Soul
16. What'd I Say + Outro

6. 9 September 1995, late show

1. Intro Ray Charles
2. Riding Thumb
3. Busted
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
6. Just For A Thrill
7. The Good Life
8. A Song For You
9. Stranger In My Own Home Town
10. Intro Raelettes (by RC)
11. Guess Who I Saw Today
12. Hit The Road Jack
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. What'd I Say
15. Outro (Part 1)
16. Outro (Part 2)
17. Outro (Part 3)

It's remarkable how the tapings each evoked a slightly different club atmosphere - some with great audience interaction, some with the - wining and dining - audience annoyingly murmuring through the more tranquil parts of the songs. The setlists were without any real surprises.
High On The Hogg (track #1 of concert #5) is also known from a.o. a live recording during the 1975 Madrid concert. The Bob Florence composition Just Friends (track #1, concert 1) was also recorded in Montreux in 1997; Fire Up (track #1, concert 2) was also taped at the Lewiston ArtPark concert in 1990; Florence's BBC (track #1, concert 4) was also recorded at the 1997 Philadelphia concert. Viewpoint (track #1, concert 3) is a unique recording; it was composed and arranged by Steve Turre.
I Believe To My Soul each time got the funny, but unfortunately all too short, Muddy Waters/Hoochie Coochie intro (also known from the 1995 concert in Marciac).

* Special thanks to J.P. Verger, Joël Dufour and Steve Sigmund.