2004 Ray Charles – Genius Loves Company
Genius Loves Company is the final studio album by rhythm and blues and soul musician Ray Charles, posthumously released August 31, 2004, on Concord Records. Recording sessions for the album took place between June 2003 and March 2004. The album consists of rhythm and blues, soul, country, blues, jazz and pop standards performed by Charles and several guest musicians, such as Natalie Cole, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. Genius Loves Company was the last album recorded and completed by Charles before his death in June 2004.
Tracks
1 Here We Go Again (with Norah Jones) (Don Lanier, Red Steagall) 3:59
2 Sweet Potato Pie (with James Taylor) (James Taylor) 3:47
3 You Don’t Know Me (with Diana Krall) (Eddy Arnold, Cindy Walker) 3:55
4 Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word (with Elton John) (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) 3:59
5 Fever (with Natalie Cole) (Eddie Cooley, John Davenport) 3:30
6 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? (with Bonnie Raitt) (Billy Burnette, Michael Smotherman) 4:34
7 It Was A Very Good Year (with Willie Nelson) (Ervin Drake) 4:59
8 Hey Girl (with Michael McDonald) (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) 5:15
9 Sinner’s Prayer (with B.B. King) (Lowell Fulson, Lloyd Glenn) 4:25
10 Heaven Help Us All (with Gladys Knight) (Ronald Miller) 4:32
11 Over The Rainbow (with Johnny Mathis) (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg) 4:54
12 Crazy Love (with Van Morrison) (Van Morrison) 3:42
Biography
Musicians
1 Here We Go Again
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Hammond Organ | Billy Preston |
| Keyboards | Ray Charles |
| Piano | Norah Jones |
| Vocals | Norah Jones |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
2 Sweet Potato Pie
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | Mike Landau |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Keyboards | Randy Waldman |
| Sax | Bob Sheppard |
| Sax | Dave Boruff |
| Sax (Baritone) | Brandon Fields |
| Trombone | Bob McChesney |
| Trombone | Bruce Fowler |
| Trumpet | Charles Davis |
| Trumpet | Walt Fowler |
| Vocals | James Taylor |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
3 You Don’t Know Me
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | George Doering |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Keyboards | Ray Charles |
| Keyboards | Randy Waldman |
| Piano | Randy Waldman |
| Vocals | Diana Krall |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
4 Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Michael Thompson |
| Piano | Alan Pasqua |
| Vocals | Elton John |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
5 Fever
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | George Doering |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Keyboards | Randy Waldman |
| Vocals | Natalie Cole |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
6 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | George Marinelli |
| Slide Guitar | Bonnie Raitt |
| Keyboards | Ray Charles |
| Piano | Randy Waldman |
| Vocals | Bonnie Raitt |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
7 It Was A Very Good Year
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Guitar | Willie Nelson |
| Piano | Randy Waldman |
| Bassoon | Dave Riddles |
| Bassoon | John Mitchell |
| Clarinet | Charles Boito |
| Clarinet | Don Markese |
| Flute | Greg Huckins |
| Flute | Steve Kujala |
| French Horn | Joe Meyer |
| French Horn | Kurt Snyder |
| French Horn | Patricia Skye |
| French Horn | Richard Todd |
| Horn | Joseph Stone |
| Oboe | Leanne Becknell |
| Timpani | Scott Higgins |
| Percussion | Mark Converse |
| Percussion | Wallace Snow |
| Vocals | Willie Nelson |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
8 Hey Girl
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Bass | Trey Henry |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Keyboards | Michael McDonald |
| Piano | Randy Waldman |
| Bassoon | Dave Riddles |
| Bassoon | John Mitchell |
| Clarinet | Charles Boito |
| Clarinet | Don Markese |
| Flute | Greg Huckins |
| Flute | Steve Kujala |
| French Horn | Joe Meyer |
| French Horn | Kurt Snyder |
| French Horn | Patricia Skye |
| French Horn | Richard Todd |
| Horn | Joseph Stone |
| Oboe | Leanne Becknell |
| Timpani | Scott Higgins |
| Percussion | Mark Converse |
| Percussion | Wallace Snow |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
9 Sinner’s Prayer
| Bass | Tom Fowler |
| Drums | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar | B.B. King |
| Guitar | Irvin Kramer |
| Hammond Organ | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Ray Charles |
| Vocals | B.B. King |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
10 Heaven Help Us All
| Bass | Abraham Laboriel Sr |
| Drums | James Gadson |
| Guitar | Charles Fearing |
| Guitar | Danny Jacob |
| Piano | Clarence McDonald |
| Sax | Brandon Fields |
| Sax | Dave Boruff |
| Sax | Tom Saviano |
| Trombone | Bob McChesney |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Trumpet | Wayne Bergeron |
| Vocals | Gladys Knight |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
11 Over The Rainbow
| Bass | Trey Henry |
| Drums | Ray Brinker |
| Piano | Randy Waldman |
| Bassoon | Dave Riddles |
| Bassoon | John Mitchell |
| Clarinet | Charles Boito |
| Clarinet | Don Markese |
| Flute | Greg Huckins |
| Flute | Steve Kujala |
| French Horn | Joe Meyer |
| French Horn | Kurt Snyder |
| French Horn | Patricia Skye |
| French Horn | Richard Todd |
| Horn | Joseph Stone |
| Oboe | Leanne Becknell |
| Timpani | Scott Higgins |
| Percussion | Mark Converse |
| Percussion | Wallace Snow |
| Vocals | Johnny Mathis |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
12 Crazy Love
| Bass | David Hayes |
| Drums | Shawn Pelton |
| Guitar | Jeff Mironov |
| Keyboards | Michael Bearden |
| Sax (Tenor) | Martin Winning |
| Sax (Tenor) | Charles Pillow |
| Trumpet | Tony Kadleck |
| Trumpet | Matt Holland |
| Trumpet | Jeff Kievit |
| Percussion | Bashiri Johnson |
| Background Vocals | Fonzi Thornton |
| Background Vocals | Tawatha Agee |
| Background Vocals | Vaneese Thomas |
| Vocals | Van Morrison |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
Other Musicians
Cello – Armen Ksajikian, John Acosta, Kevan Toreh, Martha Lippi, Rudolph Stein, Steve Richards, Suzie Katayama, Yao Zhao (Tracks 7, 8, 11)
Contrabass – Dave Stone, Karl Vincent, Ken Wild, Richard Shaw, Tim Christensen, Trey Henry (Tracks 7, 8, 11)
Harp – Eleanore Choate (Tracks 7, 8, 11)
Viola – Andrew Picken, David Walther, Miguel Ferguson, Ray Tischer, Shawn Mann, Suzanna Giordano (Track 3)
Viola – Carolyn Riley, Ed Persi, Maria Newman, Sam Formicola (Tracks 4, 5)
Viola – Briana Bandy, Carolyn Riley, David Stenske, Ed Persi, John Acevedo, Maria Newman, Ray Tischer, Robert Berg, Sam Formicola, Shanti Randall (Tracks 7, 8, 11)
Violin – Berj Garabedian, Brian Benning, Daphne Chen, David Stenske, Dynell Weber, Irina Voloshina, Jennifer Munday, Jennifer Walton, Johana Krejci, Julie Rogers, Kirsten Fife, Margaret Wooten, North Wood, Raymond Kobler, Ron Clark, Ronald Folsom, Songa Lee-Kitto (Track 3)
Violin – Alan Ellsworth, Alicia Engley, Amy Wickman-Guerra, Dennis Molchan, Edmund Stein, Gerry Hilera, Igor Pandurski, Kathleen Robertson, Nick Grant, Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews, Sai Ly Acosta, Todor Pelev, Xiao Niu He, Zheng Wang(Tracks 4, 5)
Violin – Alan Ellsworth, Alwyn Wright, Anatoli Rosinsky, Armen Garabedian, Berg Garabedian, Charles Everett, David Kilbride, Dennis Molchan, Edmund Stein, Franklyn D’Antonio, Gerry Hilera, Horia Moroaica, Igor Pandurski, Joel Derouin, Kathleen Robertson, Kenneth Yerke, Leslie Brown Katz, Michael Markman, Michelle Richards, Nancy Roth, Paul Manaster, Reginald Clews, Robert Matsuda, Todor Pelev, Tricia Lee, Vladimir Polimatidi, Xiao Niu He, Yaroslav Kettner, Zheng Wang (Tracks 7, 8, 11)
Liner Notes
Producer – John Burk (Track 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Producer – Terry Howard, Herbert Waltl (Tracks 2, 7, 8, 11)
Producer – Phil Ramone (Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 12)
Producer (Executive) – John Burk
Conductor – Rob Mathes (Track 12)
Engineer – Terry Howard, Bill Smith, Steve Genewick, Ed Thacker, Joel Moss, Pete Karam, Terry Howard, Robert Fernandez, John Harris
Engineer (Assistant) – Ken Desantis, Bill Kaylor, Andrew Felluss, Steve Genewick, Jamie Sickora, Keith Gretlein, Mike Eleopoulos, Gregg Dennen, Darrell Thorp, Casey Phariss, Hardi Kamsani, Joel Singer
Engineer (Additional) – Steve Genewick, Mark Flemming
Mastered By – Doug Sax, Robert Hadley
Engineer (Protools) – Seth Presant
Mixed By – Al Schmitt
Mixed By (Assistant) – Bill Smith, Steve Genewick
Design – Kristy Cameron
Photography – Norman Seeff, Vitaliano Napolitano, George Marinelli, Dennis Shirley, John Jennings
Mastered At The Mastering Lab
Mixed At Capitol Studios
Recorded At RPM International Studios
Recorded At Henson Recording Studios
Recorded At Record Plant, Los Angeles
Recorded At Right Track Recording
Recorded At The Eastwood Scoring Stage
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At Capitol Studios
Recorded At Effanel Music
Recorded At Broadway Ballroom
Phonographic Copyright Concord Records Inc
Copyright Hear Music