Collaborations
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December 27, 2011
Ray Charles Live In Antibes (1992)
Read moreSpread 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. x 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 […]
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December 13, 2011
Ray Charles & Lucio Dalla In Two Duets At The Teatro Greco In Taormina (2000)
Read moreLucio Dallais an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. On 20 August 2000 he performed “the most exciting duets” of his career during a Ray Charles concert with a symphony orchestra at the Teatro Greco in Taormina. The two gentlemen sang O Sole Mio and Yesterday. In the video below Dalla reflects on this event. The Rai […]
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December 11, 2011
One More Superband Concert In Italy (With B.B. King) (1990)
Read moreThe program’s logo (still). I thought I had covered all there is to know about Ray Charles’ and B.B. King’s 1990 Philip Morris Superband tour inthis article*. But today yet another TV taping of yet another one of their concerts popped up in my inbox. This show was broadcast by the Monagasque TV station TMC […]
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December 2, 2011
Let The Sun Shine In (With The National Urban Coalition, 1970)
Read moreI totally missed that this clip has been on Youtube for more than a year now: a 1-minute version of the PSA Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In, with a National Urban Coalition of 99 other artists and celebrities. There were also 30-second (“Let the Sun Shine In” sung twice) and 2-minute versions (sung 10 times). […]
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November 23, 2011
Ray Charles In TV Campaign For New Mexico Powerball Lottery (2002)
Read moreAt the set, checking the wrists of the Paylettes. From 2000 to 2002 Ray Charles contributed to a substantial series of state lottery campaigns. For the Oregon campaign and a story on Ray’s wider involvement with the Powerball brand, read this earlier article. The Oregon Lottery also ran the campaign shown below. For my post […]
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November 4, 2011
The Montreux 1997 Bonus: 3 Ray Charles Orchestra Pieces
Read moreThe concert in Montreux on July 19th, 1997 is one of the best documented shows of the Ray Charles group. The concert was videotaped with 7 or 8 cameras, the sound recording had studio quality, and the show’s director didn’t miss a beat, editing an entirely relevant final montage of luscious close-ups and wider shots. […]
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October 2, 2011
Ray & Stevie Honoring Quincy At 24th Kennedy Center Celebration (2001)
Read moreOn December 2, 2001 Quincy Jones was one of the recipients of the 24th Kennedy Center Honors (together with Julie Andrews, Van Cliburn, Jack Nicholson and Luciano Paverotti). At the gala, the audience was treated to a duet by Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, singing Let The Good Times Roll. Charles also sang My Buddy. […]
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September 10, 2011
Another ‘Last’ Live Tele-Recorded Concert By Ray Charles (2003)
Read moreHere’s a new candidate for the title ‘last tele-recorded Ray Charles concert’ (cf. what I wrote here): iTunes offers a 13-minute video from a concert by Ray Charles and his Trio (Peter Turre – drums, Brad Rabuchin – guitar, Tom Fowles – bass) at the 42nd Annual International Achievement Summit on 4 May 2003, in […]
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September 5, 2011
Ray Charles, His Band & Peter Nero On Local TV In Philadelphia (1997)
Read moreIn a Keyboard Magazine interview Ray Charles, when asked about his favorite pianist, was quoted as saying, “Art Tatum could play anything he wanted to. He’s one of the few people who I truly believe could play anything he thought of… and Peter Nero plays his buns off!” Probably the first time the two of […]
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August 26, 2011
Ray & B.B.’s Superband Tour (1990)
Read moreRay and BB at press conference in New York, on or around 1 October 1990 (photo from: Jet magazine, 3 December 1990). In July 1990 a press release was published to announce that the “Superband tour” of that year would be headlined by B.B. King and Ray Charles. The official title of the series was […]
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August 23, 2011
Ray Charles And Billy Preston In The Mid Sixties
Read moreFrom Unsung, a documentary about Preston (I think it’s from 2011). Preston, in an interview about Ray, c. 1991. Billy Preston had been Ray Charles’ protégé since his teenager years. The taping of Shindig, in 1965, was the first time they worked together professionally. Right after that Preston contributed decisively to the hot blues-gospel sound […]
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June 24, 2011
Ray Charles Live In Charlotte Pops Concert (1998)
Read moreOn October 1, 1998 Ray Charles performed with his trio and The Charlotte Philharmonic (conductor Albert-George Schram) at Ballroom C of the Charlotte Convention Center. There must be a bootleg out there. (The week before, on September 29, Ray had already performed nearby, at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center – probably with his […]