Catchin' Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 1997 [1] | |||
Recorded | March 26, 1997 at Sound on Sound, NYC April 4, 1997 at Quad Recording Studios, NYC [2] | |||
Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
Length | 61:00 [3] | |||
Label | Telarc Jazz CD-83419 [1] | |||
Producer | Paul Wickliffe [1] | |||
Roseanna Vitro chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
The Washington Post | favorable [5] |
Catchin' Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles is the 6th album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in August 1997 on the Telarc Jazz label.
AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars, with reviewer Scott Yanow citing a "highly enjoyable" and "continually interesting set," itself benefitting from the singer's talent, versatility, and juducious avoidance of Charles' most over-exposed vehicles, as well as from contributions by "pianist Ken Werner (who duets with the singer on a medley of "You Don't Know Me" and "Ruby"), trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and tenorman [and Ray Charles alumnus] David "Fathead" Newman." [4]
A contemporaneous review by The Washington Post music critic Geoffrey Himes notes two tactics employed by both Vitro and, before that, Shirley Horn in her own Ray Charles tribute album, Light Out of Darkness : namely, a "more elastic sense of swing" to "replace [Charles'] pounding R&B rhythms," and an emphasis on "the sound of the vocals and the detours they take":
Vitro gives every song either a finger-snapping swing arrangement or a swooning cabaret ballad setting. Over the throbbing pulse established by acoustic bassists Ray Drummond and Ed Howard, Vitro adds her smart, sultry vocals. She sticks close to the original melody on the first verse and chorus, but then starts slipping and sliding out of the original pathway to add her own twists on the tunes. When she shifts into Charles' trademark soulful, bluesy purr, she does it so naturally and convincingly that she sounds right at home with Charles' longtime tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. [5]
The Genius of Ray Charles is a 1959 Ray Charles album, released in October by Atlantic Records, the seventh album since the debut Ray Charles in 1957. The album consists of swinging pop with big band arrangements. It comprises a first half of big band songs and a second half of string-backed ballads. The Genius of Ray Charles sold fewer than 500,000 copies and charted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" were released as singles in 1959.
Ray Charles and Betty Carter is a 1961 album by Betty Carter and Ray Charles. The pair's recording of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on the album topped the R&B charts. A 1988 CD/LP re-issue included three bonus tracks and the 1998 Rhino Records re-issue combined, on a single CD, the original Ray Charles and Betty Carter with the complete Dedicated to You.
Nothin' but the Blues is a 1984 album by the American jazz and blues singer Joe Williams with Red Holloway & His Blues All-Stars. For his work on the album, Williams was awarded the 1985 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.
The Genius Hits the Road is a 1960 album by Ray Charles. The concept album focuses on songs written about various parts of the United States. It peaked at number nine on the pop album charts and produced a US #1 single, "Georgia on My Mind".
"I Don't Need No Doctor" is an R&B song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Jo Armstead. First released by Ashford on Verve in August 1966, it went nowhere. It was then picked up and recorded by Ray Charles and released in October 1966. Over the years, it has been covered by bands such as garage rock band The Chocolate Watchband in 1969, Humble Pie in 1971, New Riders of the Purple Sage in 1972, metal band W.A.S.P. in 1986, by rock band Great White in 1987, and by the garage punk band The Nomads in 1989. Styx also covered this song. Humble Pie's version reached No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 72 in Canada.
Live in Concert is a live album by Ray Charles released in 1965 by ABC-Paramount Records. The recording was made at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California in September, 1964 following a tour of Japan.
Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas.
"Sticks and Stones" is an R&B song, written by Titus Turner.
Clarity: Music of Clare Fischer is the 13th album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in 2014 by Random Act Records. The first instance of a singer releasing an album devoted to Fischer's music, Clarity unveils six new lyrics to previously instrumental compositions. One of these, "Take Your Breath and Sing", features the composer's son Brent Fischer on vibraphone.
The Music of Randy Newman is the 12th album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, recorded in 2009 and 2010, released in 2011 on the Motéma label. It received a 2012 Grammy nomination in the category of the Best Vocal Jazz Album.
The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer is the first album released under the joint leadership of Roseanna Vitro and Kenny Werner. It was recorded live at the Blue Note in New York in August 2007, and released in 2008 on the Half Note label.
Live At The Kennedy Center is the 10th album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro. Recorded over the course of two consecutive nights in September 2005, it was released the following spring by Challenge Records.
Tropical Postcards is the 9th album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in 2004 by A Records, an imprint of Challenge Records International. Brazilian jazz and popular music predominate, with seven of the album's eleven tracks provided by Brazilian composers, plus one familiar standard – Sammy Fain's I'll Be Seeing You – performed as a bossa nova.
Softly is the fourth album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in December 1993 on the Concord Jazz label.
Passion Dance is the fifth album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in January 1996 on the Telarc Jazz label.
A Quiet Place is the second album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, released in October 1987 on the Skyline label.
Listen Here is the first album by jazz singer Roseanna Vitro, recorded in October 1982 and released in 1984 on the Texas Rose label.
"Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" is a song written by Joe Greene and released in 1946 by Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five. Jordan's version reached No. 3 in Billboard's chart of "Most-Played Juke Box Race Records".
I Remember Brother Ray is an album by American saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman, paying tribute to his bandleader and mentor Ray Charles, which was recorded in 2004 by recording engineer Tobi Nova at Murphy's Place, a jazz club in Toledo, Ohio, and released on the HighNote label the following year.
Still Hard Times is an album by American jazz saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman recorded in 1982 and released on the Muse label.