Ray Charles – The Genius After Hours (Hybrid SACD, Mobile Fidelity)

There is no doubt that Ray Charles became a legend only after moving to Atlantic Records where he spawned a string of hits that redefined popular music and gave birth to R&B in the mid and late 1950s. However, the label refused to shoehorn Charles in strictly with vocal aid tape. Atlantic recognized his jazz and blues roots and encouraged him to incorporate instrumental sides with jazz combos and pursue piano-based material with which he was originally associated. Mastered from the original master tapes, restoring a quality not realized since the first pressings more than 50 years ago. Mobile Fidelity Hybrid SACAC. D version of the gene. ius After Hours finds its place as one of the finest examples of Charles’ first love affair: jazz and blues. Lifting the veil on those early ’60s sessions, the collector’s disc acts as a table seat in a smoky jazz club, where Charles-fun and entertainment gathers with a handful of cohorts and lets loose with hard bop standards and swinging rhythms. The cavity of Charles’ instrument, the sonic signatures of the stand-up bass lines, and the flourish of the percussion are all presented with unfettered realism. From the same three studio assemblies that gave The Great Ray Charles, the eight tunes here feature the symbol associated with both a trio and a septet. Longtime collaborator David “Fathead” Newman plays tenor and alto sax, while trumpeter Joseph Bridgewater and bassist Oscar Pettiford also contribute memorable performances. Hall of Fame producer Quincy Jones handles the arrangements on the larger tracks. But the star of the program remains Charles, and the light-hearted and charming way in which he moves the music in any direction he chooses.