Ray Charles – Il Genio, Live In Viareggio (1979)

Still from video.

On 9 August 1979 Ray Charles, his Orchestra and The Raelettes gave their first concert at the Bussola Domani in Viareggio (cf. this).

The show, directed by Antonio Moretti, was aired by RAI (Rete 1) on 18 October. I recently saw an umptieth generation, distorted, video copy of a later broadcast by TMC.

The setlist was without surprises:

1. Intro
2. Let The Good Times Roll
3. Then We’ll Be Home (Sadies Tune)
4. Yesterday
5. Some Enchanted Evening
6. Georgia On My Mind
7. Riding Thumb
8. She Knows
9. Hit The Road Jack
10. I Can’t Stop Loving You
11. I Can See Clearly Now
12. Knock On Wood (ft Trudy Cohran)
13. What’d I Say
14. Outro

Personnel: 
Musicians: Johnny Coles, Buddy Gordon, Tim Ouimette, Chase Sanborn – trumpets; John Boice, Bob Braun, Gerard Carelli, Dan Marcus – trombones; Clifford Solomon – alto saxophone, band leader; Brian Mitchell – alto saxophone; Rudy Johnson, Fred Smith – tenor saxophones; Jim Sharpe – baritone saxophone; Eugene Ross – guitar; Curtis Ohlson – bass; Peter Turre – drums; James Polk – organ. The Raelettes: Trudy Cohran, Pat Peterson, Madelyn Quebec, Estella Yarbrough.

Special thanks to J.P. Verger for making me aware of the video.