Ray Charles – Pure Genius: Complete Atlantic Recordings 52-59

Has any musical artist ever in the history of popular music achieved as much in 7 years as did Ray Charles during his Atlantic years? Mozart, perhaps.

And many others, of course. But all the same, these truly were a remarkable 7 years for Mr. Charles.

There’s a lot on this compilation that may only be of interest for the super-fan. Outtakes, false starts, studio conversations, what have you …

But honestly, if you have any interest in the history of music—any music, really, but especially soul, jazz, r&b, blues, etc—then you probably owe it to yourself to just immerse in the world of the genius for a while.