Am I Blue (1, 2)

Am I Blue (1)

Album: The Genius Of Ray Charles, Atlantic 1312, October 1959.
Single (A): May 1961, Atlantic 2106 b/w It Should Have Been Me.

Recorded on May 6, 1959 in New York with Bob Brookmeyer – tb; Ted Sommer – d; Allen Hanlon – g; Wendell Marshall – b; unidentified woodwinds, strings and singers. Ralph Burns – arranger, director.

Am I Blue (2)

Album: A Portrait Of Ray, ABC/Tangerine 625, March 1968.

For this album Ray recorded a new interpretation of the song – in itself a unique fact; it’s the only song he studio-recorded for both Atlantic and Tangerine. This is also the arrangement that Ray from then on would perform live – many times in incredibly bluesy voice/trumpet dialogues with Johnny Coles.

Recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles in February 1968. With studio musicians (possibly including Carol Kaye on bass), woodwinds and a string section (all uncredited).

Live:

’69 LC Paris
’70 LC Prato
’70 TV Tom
’72 TV Cavett – 2x – With Dick Cavett
’75 LC Japan – Released
’76 LC Antibes
’76 LC Stuttgart
’78 LC Boston
’81 DM 20
’90 RS Piano – Just the basic song (p, voc)