Ray Charles: A Lost Moment Of Rock 'n' Soul....

by Marc Silver

Nearly six years after his death, it's still a thrill to hear Ray Charles' distinctive and familiar voice singing "Isn't It Wonderful," an unfamiliar song posthumously pieced together from barebones vocal tracks. With new instrumentation, it appears on a compilation titled Rare Genius: The Unreleased Masters.

Recorded in the late 1980s, "Isn't It Wonderful" is built around a mid-tempo groove and a single-minded message summed up by one of several clichés here: "Let's not wait any longer." The compilation's producers kept their meddling to a minimum: They added an organ line that whistles and burbles playfully around the melody, a pungently twanging guitar and a strong, steady drumbeat. Call it classic Ray Charles rock 'n' soul.

No one would confuse "Isn't It Wonderful" with Charles' best moments, but his genius lies in the way his gritty voice can take a trifle of a tune and transform it into an intimate and enticing lover's plea, beautifully seasoned with blue notes, off-the-cuff testimony ("I'm trying to tell you something") and libidinous chuckles.
Hear at: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133373668/ray-charles-a-lost-moment-of-rock-n-soul

From: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133373668/ray-charles-a-lost-moment-of-rock-n-soul&sc=nl&cc=sod-20110131