Ray Charles Live In Rio (1986)

Photo by Sergio Amara.

On 2 and 3 September 1986 Ray Charles performed at the Free Jazz Festival(at the Teatro do Hotel Nacional) in Rio de Janeiro. (The event was not about free jazz, but the jazz was free). One of the shows was taped for TV. Gregorio Robin directed the program.

Before the concert part there’s a brief interview (at the end of it, as a thank you, Ray takes and strikes the interviewer’s wrist). The songs got a ‘fast edit’ with flashy fade-overs between the numbers. Ray’s voice and piano were not ideally balanced against the orchestra sound.
I do not know the air date of the TV program. A segment with only the 5th and 6th tracks of the taping was televized in Brazil on September 21st, in episode 2 of a series of five 25-minute magazines about the festival.

The full TV show had the following track list:

1. Intro
2. You Made Me Love You (solo Clifford Solomon – ts)
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Feel So Bad (solo Jeff Pevar – g)
5. If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady
6. She Knows (solo Morris Pleasure – b)
7. The Pages Of My Mind (with The Raelettes)
8. I Can’t Stop Loving You
9. I Can See Clearly Now
10. What’d I Say
11. We Are The World
12. Outro

(Collection André Monnot).

#5 served more or less as a long intro to a marvelous rendition of She Knows (#6). #7, The Pages Of My Mind, is a rare live version of this title song of the 1986 album.

The “promotional” 2-disk album set, pictured left, titled Free Jazz Festival – Brasil ’86 was offered for sale on Ebay a while ago. It simply compiled earlier recordings by the festival’s stars.
The choice for Ray was a bit surprising. Disk 1, Side B, track #1 had Rock And Roll Shoes (the duet with B.J. Thomas). For Disk 2, Side A, track #3 they picked Seven Spanish Angels (the duet with Willie Nelson).