Ray Charles - The Very Best of Ray Charles (39 Greatest Hits) (2006)

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known professionally as Ray Charles, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". He was often referred to as "The Genius". Charles was blind from the age of seven. He pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s by combining blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He also contributed to the integration of country and rhythm and blues and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by country, jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues artists of the day, including Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. In the late forties he became friends with Quincy Jones, to whom he learned the ropes of arranging jazz music. Their friendship would last till the end of Charles' life. Frank Sinatra called him "the only true genius in show business", although Charles downplayed this notion.

Tracklist:

CD1:
01. What'd I Say (6:28)
02. I Got a Woman (06:11)
03. Heartbreaker (2:51)
04. Tell Me Baby (2:35)
05. Georgia on My Mind (06:50)
06. I'm Going Down to the River (3:06)
07. Blues Is My Middle Name (3:16)
08. Talkin' Bout You (4:21)
09. You Be My Baby (2:34)
10. Leave My Woman Alone (2:48)
11. I'm Movin' On (2:17)
12. Ain't That Fine (2:20)
13. Hey Now (2:22)
14. What Have I Done (2:36)
15. Sitting on Top of the World (2:20)
16. Let's Have a Ball (2:35)
17. How Long Blues (2:39)
18. Can You See Darling (2:41)
19. She's on the Ball (2:34)
20. If I Give You My Love (2:39)

CD2:
01. A Sentimental Blues (2:26)
02. C.C. Rider (2:35)
03. Kiss Me Baby (3:11)
04. This Love of Mine (03:06)
05. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (2:58)
06. You'll Always Miss the Water (2:52)
07. Blues Before Sunrise (2:52)
08. Guitar Blues (2:33)
09. Back Home (2:33)
10. Money Honey (2:43)
11. Late in the Evening Blues (3:06)
12. I'm Just a Lonely Boy (2:50)
13. Let Me Hear You Call My Name (3:33)
14. I'm Wondering and Wondering (3:20)
15. Don't Put All Your Dreams in One Basket (2:51)
16. Why Did You Go (2:49)
17. Walkin' and Talkin' (3:10)
18. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (3:01)
19. Going Down Slow (2:41)