Ray Charles - Uh Huh (1959 - 1972)

Ray Charles - Uh Huh (1959 - 1972) DCC

  I will admit up front that I am not a huge fan of Greatest Hit Packages generally as I would rather just hear the original albums, but on "Uh Huh" I have to say that this is an amazing album.   The album cover is cheesie as is the title and the book info is thin and uninteresting, but the music is beyond amazing.   This album was compiled all from the original masters carefully by Steve Hoffman and Ray Charles together in 1992 and released on the very collectible DCC label.
  This compilation covers 1959 to 1972 and Ray pulled out the ones i think he really thought were well done.  In typical Hoffman style,the album is vividly clear and sonically perfect with all the bumps and bruises from the original mater tapes.
  This collection is essential but be careful this was released a few times and YOU need to get the DCC version folks or you will be disappointed.  This is a 2 full CD set of the magic of Ray Charles.......

Ray Charles - Live (1964)

Ray Charles - Live In Concert, 1964 Analogue Productions SACD

  On Sept 20th 1964 Ray Charles and his band hit the stage at the Shine Civic Auditorium in LA and delivered a highly energetic performance and thanks to the recording engineer managed to grab a great sound that evening for us all to enjoy some almost 50 years later. This live recording sounds even better and more alive than ever ! Ray Charles is at the height of his career and no question he gets the crowd rockin!
Ray is joined by quite a band ....Sonny Forriest (guitar), Bill Pearson (flute, alto saxophone); Hank Crawford (alto saxophone); Leroy Cooper (baritone saxophone); John Hunt (trumpet, flugelhorn); Oliver Beener, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau (trumpet); Henderson Chambers, James Herbert, Julian Priester (trombone); Wilbert Hogan (drums) and The Raelets on backing vocals.
The liner notes say that `No attempt has been made to augment this recording or change the performances in any way from exactly the way they were heard``.

This recording deserves to be turned up and enjoyed at full volume which seems to give it an extra bit of power and energy.
 
As for how this SACD sounds....well I dont have the original RBCD to compare it to but can only say that the sound on this disc is awesome. Gray and Zanev have done a wonderful job is preserving and mastering this prized live recording to SACD.

Ray Charles & Betty Carter (1966)

Ray Charles & Betty Carter (1966) , SACD Analogue Productions

  ...Why don`t you put some records on while I pour.................

  Holy god......what an amazing album.........Take a genius of Ray Charles and bring in the smokey -vocals of Betty Carter and add some huge orchestration and harmonic background vocals and you have an album that I one for the desert island.   ``Ev`ry Time We Say Goodbye`` is simply riveting, `Baby It`s Cold Outside` will give you that special huge melancholy feeling and `For All We Know`may even make you cry .

  If you were going to only buy one album this year.......make it this one !

Terry Evans - Come To The River (1997)

Terry Evans - Come To The River XRCD K2

  Soul, Blues and Gospel all in one heavenly album worshiped by the tenor "tear your heart out" vocals of Terry Evans.  Fans of Ry Cooder will love this album too at it has some of his best guitar work...seems that Evans and Cooder really bring out the best in each other.  "Please no more" and "Come to the River" is some of the deepest soulful music I have in my collection !   Evans is backed up by 3 great male vocalists who sing in this harmonic deep southern soul-gospel groove that will make you think you are in some church in Southern US.  The music is soulful and groovy !    Smooth and Rich.
  This is the XRCD K2 version which is simply one of the finest sounding CD`s you can ever hear.......holy moly !

Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Ranch (1963) SACD

Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Ranch (1963) Analogue Productions SACD

   Jimmy Smith's "Back At The Chicken Shack" is one of the hallmark albums for lovers of the organ driven jazz.  This album is a combo of soul, blues, jazz and fusion genres ....all in one album.  Jimmy Smith is helped out on by Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Kenny Burrell (guitar) and Donald Bailey (drums).  Jazz organ enthusiasts (like me) will love this album with its soulful presence and mindful jazziness.

Isaac Hayes - Black Moses (1971)

Isaac Hayes - Black Moses, 1971 Stax Records

 Black Moses is one of the true defining moments of soul music !   A double album full of some of the most soulful singing moments ever caught on vinyl  !   With `Black Moses``, Hayes had firmly established himself as a progressive soul artist with his stretched out and well-developed R&B jams, as well as his husky-voiced sexy spoken "raps" that essentially became the key component of his signature sound.