Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Album: The Spirit Of Christmas, Columbia 39415, January 1986.

The album was recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles, with members of the Ray Charles Orchestra and session musicians in the fall of 1984 (maybe into early 1985).

Mark Curry, Jim Seeley, Robbie Kwock, Jeff Kaye, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Coles – trumpets; Mayo Tiana, John Boice, Dan Weinstein, Dana Hughes – trombones; Clifford Solomon, Brian Mitchell, Rudy Johnson, Ricky Woodard, Louis Van Taylor – saxophones; James Polk – piano, keyboards; Roger Hines – bass; Jeff Pevar, Kevin Turner, Calvin Keys – guitars; Rick Kirkland, James Gadson – drums.

Jeff Pevar wrote: “In the winter of 1984, just after joining the RC Orchestra, I was invited by Ray to fly out to his recording studio in Los Angeles to play guitar on some songs he was working on in his studio at the time. We spent a couple days working together, just the 2 of us. On this song, Ray wanted me to play blues guitar and asked me to just play whatever I felt. After I overdubbed guitar to the song we then rewound the tape (no pro tools back then) and we listened back to the work and he either said something like…”Oh man, I LOVE that there!” ….or…. he would sing a blues guitar melody that he would want me to play to replace what I had played.”

Arranged by Ray Charles and James Polk.

Live:
’88c TV Christmas
’90 LC Tokyo
’02 LC Gospel – Released