Ray Charles made some great records with his own big band and with Count Basie, and these tunes and arrangements were featured in the last set of concerts for the Seattle Repertory Concert season. Guest soloists Joe Doria on Hammond B3 organ, and singer Reggie Goings provided the necessary touch of Ray Charles' organ and vocals.
Ray Charles is one of the enduring figures in American pop and soul music. A significant part of his development took place in Seattle, on his own in his late teens. He had a regular gig at The Rocking Chair, where he started mixing blues and gospel with bop and the smooth King Cole Trio sound of his trio. He also made his first records in Seattle and connected with Quincy Jones and Ernestine Anderson among others who were active along Jackson Street at that time.
Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, Google or Spotify.
