Ray Charles Live In Antibes (1992)

Spread from the 1992 European Tour itinerary from promoter DIBA (collection Steve Sigmund). Things always changed after the printing was done; therefore the data on the personnel were never entirely correct.

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Ray Charles connoisseur J.P. Verger was so kind to let me listen in to a rare private recording of a live France-Inter radio program from July 20, 1992. It contains a large part of the concert performed by the Ray Charles troupe at the 32nd edition of Jazz à Antibes. The tape misses the three to five tunes where The Raelettes contributed to the show (Chain Of Fools, I Can’t Stop Loving You and What’d I Say, and maybe a few more songs), but the good news is that it entails a set of four rare instrumentals*.
The radio program was presented by Julien Delifiori and another gentleman, who – regretfully – felt obliged to enhance the “live” character by frequently talking through the music. But they couldn’t conceal that the band was in a very good mood that night.

Update 21 May 2017:
INA (ID: PHY14002116) also recorded the radio broadcast of the concert, adding #1, a complete version of #12 and #13 to #17.

1. Viewpoint (The Ray Charles Orchestra) (solos: SE, MG, KC, DH)
2. Beatrice (The Ray Charles Orchestra) (solos: WC, JK)
3. Easy Living (The Ray Charles Orchestra) (solos: JK, JF, DH, JK)
4. Brazilian Skies (The Ray Charles Orchestra) (solos: JK, RJ)
5. Our Suite (The Ray Charles Orchestra) (solos: RJ, DH, JF, AW, JK, PT, CP-or-TM)
Intro RC
6. Then We’ll Be Home (Sadies Tune)
7. Busted
8. Georgia On My Mind
9. Mississippi Mud
10. How Long Has This Been Going On
11. Teardrops From My Eyes
12. Ellie, My Love
Intro Raeletts (by RC)
13. Chain Of Fools
14. Giving Up (Trudy Cohran)
15. Smack Dab In The Middle
16. I Can’t Stop Loving You
17. Lay Around And Love On You (All I Wanna Do Is —) (solo: Kenny Carr – g)
18. What’d I Say
Outro

#1, Viewpoint: composed by Steve Turre.
#2, Beatrice: arranged by Wayne Coniglio.
#3, Easy Living, arranged by James Polk, is the first known recording by the Ray Charles Orchestra.
#4, Brazilian Skies (arranged by Teddy Edwards), and #5, Our Suite (arranged by Roger Neumann), were first taped for the album Jazz Number II (1973).

On July 21 the France 2 News had a 2m30s item on Jazz à Juan, covering the concert, and an interview with Ray, stating that “the money does not interest me, I don’t care” (INA archive, ID CAB92042095):

Personnel:**
Musicians: Ted Murdock, Jeff Kaye, David Hoffman, Chuck Parrish – trumpets; Wayne Coniglio, Marc Fields, Mike Guerrier, Steve Sigmund – trombones; Steve Elliott, Al Jackson (band leader), Al Waters, Rudy Johnson, Jim Farnsworth – saxophones; Peter Turre – drums; Kenny Carr – guitar; Benoît Grey – bass; Ernest Vantrease – keyboards. The Raelettes: Trudy Cohran, Pamela Diggs, Paula Moye, Angie Workman, Estella Yarbrough.
*  Steve Sigmund helped to name the tunes.
** Soloists identified by Dave Hoffman, other corrections and additions as compared to the tour itinerary brochure by Orchestra alumni under direction of Steve Sigmund.