These four CDs represent the most creative period of Ray Charles’ life – roughly 1954 to 1962. He died in 2004 and, at the time of his death, was working on a duets album which was released, very appropriately, as Genius And Friends. When the excellent bio-pic, Ray was released with Jamie Foxx, one of the straplines was a quote from Frank Sinatra, “Ray Charles is the only genius in our business.”
DISC 1
1. Hit The Road Jack
2. I Got A Woman
3. It Should’ve Been Me
4. Leave My Woman Alone
5. Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Cryin’
6. Hide ‘Nor Hair
7. This Little Girl Of Mine
8. Hey Now
9. You Be My Baby
10. The Midnight Hour
11. Sweet Georgia Brown
12. Cherry
13. But On The Other Hand Baby
14. ’Deed I Do
15. I Wonder Who
16. Don’t You Know
17. You Won’t Let Me Go
18. That’s Enough
19. Tell Me You’ll Wait For Me
20. Nobody Cares
21. Josephine
22. Funny But I Still Love You
23. What Kind Of Man Are You
24. Roll With My Baby
25. Ray’s Blues
DISC 2
1. Georgia On My Mind
2. Mess Around
3. Hallelujah I Love Her So
4. Unchain My Heart
5. My Bonnie
6. See See Rider
7. I’m Movin’ On
8. Just For A Thrill
9. Early In The Mornin’
10. Rosetta
11. Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)
12. She’s On The Ball
13. Heartbreaker
14. Come Back (Baby)
15. Sticks And Stones
16. Candy
17. One Mint Julep
18. Lonely Avenue
19. Mr. Charles’ Blues
20. I Can’t Stop Loving You
21. Doodlin’
22. Can Anyone Ask For More
23. Careless Love
24. The Ego Song
25. Margie
DISC 3
1. (Night Time) Is The Right Time
2. Tell Me How Do You Feel
3. Let The Good Times Roll
4. Your Cheating Heart
5. A Fool For You
6. Come Rain Or Come Shine
7. Rockhouse
8. Ain’t That Love
9. You Are My Sunshine
10. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
11. Am I Blue
12. Them That Got
13. When Your Lover Has Gone
14. Sweet Sixteen Bars
15. Hardhearted Hannah
16. Sinner’s Prayer
17. I’ve Got News For You
18. Marie
19. I Believe To My Soul
20. Two Years Of Torture
21. What Have I Done
22. Sentimental Blues
23. Tell All The World About You
24. Guitar Blues
25. Alone In This City
DISC 4
1. What’d I Say
2. Drown In My Own Tears
3. Yes Indeed!
4. It Had To Be You
5. Mary Ann
6. Alexander’s Ragtime Band
7. Swanee River Rock (Talkin’ ‘Bout That River)
8. I Wonder
9. All To Myself Alone
10. Stella By Starlight
11. Blues Before Sunrise
12. The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again
13. All Night Long
14. Diane
15. Jumpin’ In The Mornin’
16. I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
17. You Don’t Know Me
18. I Found My Baby There
19. Nancy
20. Losing Hand
21. Some Day Baby
22. Blackjack
23. Ruby
24. The Danger Zone
25. I Got A Woman (live)