Review of Ray Charles: The Genius Of Soul

Introduction

This 1991 TV show (one of the `American Masters` series) has been shrewdly re-packaged and committed to disc in time to cash in on the release of the `Ray` biopic movie and the sad passing away of this undisputed king of jazz and soul aged 73 in June last year.

At just under 60 minutes it will provide slim pickings for the avid Ray Charles fan who may well have seen much of this output already.

However, if you happened upon this documentary as it aired, you`d have to admit that they`ve made a sterling job of linking together the various pieces (clips from his 50 year career as well as interviews with fans and friends) and it does add up to a fairly satisfying and coherent piece.

Ray Charles became an icon of modern American music, instantly recognisable with his tightly cropped hair, shades and that infectious white-toothed smile; a look which never really changed and yet which never really went out of style across the 5 decades of his working career.

A really interesting element to the story comes from an analysis of his music by the man himself who claims that in his early years he found it really difficult to find his own voice and sound. (His earliest recordings sound like a poor mans Nat King Cole.). It was a revelation when he finally threw off his fears and did his own thing - which created a sound uniquely his own, along with his uniquely passionate and rhythmic way of performing, with his trademark foot stomping and head swaying.

There`s no doubt that Ray Charles had an infectious energy in both his music and personal life that permeates every appearance here. From the portrayal here, he seems to be the kind of guy that it would be very difficult not to like. Despite his fame and fortune, there`s a humble-ness unrecognisable in many contemporary stars and despite an incredibly harsh upbringing, there`s a positivity that`s nothing short of inspirational. (He witnessed his brother`s drowning in a laundry tub at an early age, and then lost his sight aged only 11. He was then separated from his family, and shipped out to a school some 150 miles away. His Mother and Father died by the time he reached 14…all documented here).

His career, which finished on an amazing high, was also littered with some astonishing lows. Charles was a legendary womaniser, and quite apart from his many transitory flings, he managed to have at least 9 children by seven different mothers.

Cocaine and Heroin took their toll too, culminating in a particular low spot where one of his sons found him bleeding to death after a botched injection. But the man kept bouncing back.

There`s quite a repertoire of songs here though many are just extracts which is a frustration. A nice `extra` would have been to have the full versions available too. For me, the standout track is `Georgia on my mind` which is all the evidence you need to support this documentaries hypothesis that Charles was `…the inventor of modern soul music`.
Fans like Billy Joel, Willie Nelson and Dr. John (amongst others) express their appreciation of a man that proved to be an inspiration to them in their own careers.

Video

Aspect Ratio: Full Frame, Original ratio 4:3 which, for a 1991 TV Documentary is just what you`d expect. The picture is generally good, though clearly variable given the quantity of archival recordings.

Audio

A serviceable Dolby Digital English 2.0 soundtrack which is generally very good, though variable due to the patchwork nature of the materials on offer.

Features

Absolutely nothing on this review disc.

Conclusion

This is a thoroughly enjoyable one-hour `rockumentary` featuring the undisputed king of jazz & soul cool. If you happened upon it when it aired in 1991 you`d have had nothing to complain about. It`s intelligently compiled and nicely linked with interviews and performances.

However, the story, once told, has nothing worth coming back to. There are some great performances to be sure, but each is either truncated or voiced-over. It`s difficult to understand who would want to part with their hard-earned cash to add to this to their collection. It`s all too familiar, surely, to real Ray Charles fans, and yet offers little incentive for the merely curious.

It would have made a very nice `extra` on a concert tape or maybe as a bonus on the forthcoming R2 DVD release of `Ray`. On its own it really doesn`t justify purchase, though may make a diverting rental.