April 18, 1970 -- Ray Charles concert includes: Introduction and Warm-Up, Running Out, I Want To Do (Everything For You), Chain of Fools, One Mint Julep, Ray Charles Intro and Instrumental, and The Bright Lights and You Girl.
From his early blues and jazz combos to his R&B review-style big bands to his landmark country and soul recordings, few artists have had a greater impact on 20th century music than Ray Charles. Now an American cultural and musical icon, Charles' explorations across musical boundaries literally changed the face of popular music. Succeeding in whatever musical genre he chose to explore, Charles took what had previously been a black and white territorial map and fueled it full of color. Not only one of the most emotionally engaging and easily recognizable voices of all time, Charles was a superb musician, arranger, bandleader, and visionary who embraced all genres; from pop to blues to country to jazz. In doing so, Charles has become the only musician in history who has topped the charts for five consecutive decades.
Ray Charles seemed to appear out of nowhere, releasing his debut album in 1957. A triumphant appearance at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival the following year established his reputation as a rising star and by the following year, when his “Georgia On My Mind" single topped the charts, he was being recognized as an important artist and extremely engaging performer. The 1960s was Charles' most successful and prolific decade. Earning four Grammy Awards in 1961 alone and many more accolades in the years to come, Charles regularly topped the charts and influenced nearly every musician exposed to his music, regardless of genre. By the end of the 1960s, Charles' live performances were rarely less than incendiary. Touring with an outstanding big band of handpicked musicians and female singers (known as the Raelets), Ray Charles concerts were full-blown events that covered the musical spectrum in a way that reached music fans of every persuasion and color.
This recording, one of the most delightful, yet equally frustrating discoveries ever to be found in Bill Graham's vast archive, captures Ray Charles, the Raelets, and his remarkable orchestra at an extraordinary moment in time. Discovered at the end of the Dizzy Gillespie master reels from Fillmore East on April 18, 1970 (also available on www.wolfgangsvault.com), only the first 25 minutes of the performance seems to have survived on tape. However, it is an astounding sequence, capturing a bit more of one of the most electrifying and legendary evenings of music ever to occur on the stage of the Fillmore East.
From his early blues and jazz combos to his R&B review-style big bands to his landmark country and soul recordings, few artists have had a greater impact on 20th century music than Ray Charles. Now an American cultural and musical icon, Charles' explorations across musical boundaries literally changed the face of popular music. Succeeding in whatever musical genre he chose to explore, Charles took what had previously been a black and white territorial map and fueled it full of color. Not only one of the most emotionally engaging and easily recognizable voices of all time, Charles was a superb musician, arranger, bandleader, and visionary who embraced all genres; from pop to blues to country to jazz. In doing so, Charles has become the only musician in history who has topped the charts for five consecutive decades.
Ray Charles seemed to appear out of nowhere, releasing his debut album in 1957. A triumphant appearance at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival the following year established his reputation as a rising star and by the following year, when his “Georgia On My Mind" single topped the charts, he was being recognized as an important artist and extremely engaging performer. The 1960s was Charles' most successful and prolific decade. Earning four Grammy Awards in 1961 alone and many more accolades in the years to come, Charles regularly topped the charts and influenced nearly every musician exposed to his music, regardless of genre. By the end of the 1960s, Charles' live performances were rarely less than incendiary. Touring with an outstanding big band of handpicked musicians and female singers (known as the Raelets), Ray Charles concerts were full-blown events that covered the musical spectrum in a way that reached music fans of every persuasion and color.
This recording, one of the most delightful, yet equally frustrating discoveries ever to be found in Bill Graham's vast archive, captures Ray Charles, the Raelets, and his remarkable orchestra at an extraordinary moment in time. Discovered at the end of the Dizzy Gillespie master reels from Fillmore East on April 18, 1970 (also available on www.wolfgangsvault.com), only the first 25 minutes of the performance seems to have survived on tape. However, it is an astounding sequence, capturing a bit more of one of the most electrifying and legendary evenings of music ever to occur on the stage of the Fillmore East.
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