The Great Ray Charles

The Great Ray Charles
File:TheGreatRayCharles(1957).jpg
Studio album by Ray Charles
Released	August 1957
Recorded	April 30 - November 26, 1956 in New York City
Genre	R&B
Length	37:37
Label	Atlantic 1259
Producer	Ahmet Ertegün, Jerry Wexler
Ray Charles chronology
Ray Charles (or, Hallelujah I Love Her So) (1957)Ray Charles (or, Hallelujah I Love Her So)1957 The Great Ray Charles (1957) Ray Charles at Newport (1958)Ray Charles at Newport1958
Alternative cover
CD re-issue with six extra tracks from The Genius After Hours CD re-issue with six extra tracks from The Genius After Hours

The Great Ray Charles is Ray Charles' second studio album for Atlantic Records, released in 1957. It is an instrumental jazz album. Later CD re-issues often include as a bonus, six of eight tracks from The Genius After Hours. The original cover was by Marvin Israel.

Professional ratings
Review scores
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Allmusic

Track listing

All songs written by Ray Charles unless otherwise indicated.

Original LP release

Side A

1. "The Ray" (Quincy Jones) – 4:00
2. "My Melancholy Baby" (Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton) – 4:20
3. "Black Coffee" (Sonny Burke, Paul Webster) – 5:32
4. "There's No You" (Tom Adair, Harold Hopper) – 4:47

Side B

1. "Doodlin'" (Horace Silver) – 5:54
2. "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:07
3. "I Surrender Dear" (Harry Barris, Gordon Clifford) – 5:08
4. "Undecided" (Sid Robin, Charlie Shavers) – 3:40

Note: Some sources list "Ain't Misbehavin'" in place of "Black Coffee".

1990 CD reissue

Includes 6 bonus tracks from The Genius After Hours

1. "Dawn Ray" – 5:03
2. "The Man I Love" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:26
3. "Music, Music, Music" (Bernie Baum, Stephen Weiss) – 2:53
4. "Black Coffee" (Burke, Webster) – 5:43
5. "The Ray" (Jones) – 3:55
6. "I Surrender Dear" (Barris, Clifford) – 5:08
7. "Hornful Soul" – 5:29
8. "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 5:40
9. "Joy Ride" – 4:39
10. "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:06
11. "Doodlin'" (Silver) – 5:53
12. "There's No You" (Adair, Hopper) – 4:49
13. "Undecided" (Robin, Shavers) – 3:40
14. "My Melancholy Baby" (Burnett, Norton) – 4:22

References

• Atlantic Records 1259