Ray Charles Authoring Jack Sheldon Album’s Cover Notes (1961)
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In 1961 Ray Charles was at the pinnacle of his fame. It was also the year that he was first recognized and honored with a tribute album, by the soulful trumpeteer Jack Sheldon: A Jazz Profile Of Ray Charles (released by Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records, R-2004, July 1961).
Sheldon recorded the 12 tracks over two days in May (spanning a selection from five Ray Charles albums issued between 1957 and 1961) with his trio: Marty Paich on piano and organ, Joe Mondragon on bass and John Markham on drums. The elpee came out in July 1961, with a testimonial by Ray Charles, praising Sheldon, and adding some humble remarks regarding himself.
I assume that Paich – who was Ray’s favorite arranger in his early ABC-Paramount years – was the linking pin between Charles and Sheldon. Highly remarkable was his organ playing, sounding almost exactly as awkward as Ray’s Hammond wizardry on Genius + Soul = Jazz (Impulse 2, February 1961), “[…] making it seem as if the instrument is being operated by a bellows”, as Marc Meyers remarked in this excellent Jazz Wax article about this album.
Meyers made 3 of the tunes available online (I wish someone would send me a copy of the complete album;-): When Your Lover Has Gone, Moonlight in Vermont, and One Mint Julep.
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