Some players from
Ray Charles' big band are joined by many ringers from the
Count Basie and
Duke Ellington bands for the first half of this program, featuring
Charles belting out six songs arranged by
Quincy Jones. "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Deed I Do" are highlights, and there are solos by tenorman
David "Fathead" Newman, trumpeter
Marcus Belgrave, and (on "Two Years of Torture") tenor
Paul Gonsalves. The remaining six numbers are ballads, with
Charles backed by a string orchestra arranged by
Ralph Burns (including "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'").
Charles' voice is heard throughout in peak form, giving soul to even the veteran standards. ~ Scott Yanow