Track Listing

1. Here We Go Again - Features Norah Jones
2. Sweet Potato Pie - Features James Taylor
3. You Don't Know Me - Features Diana Krall
4. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Features Elton John
5. Fever - Features Natalie Cole
6. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind - Features Bonnie Raitt
7. It Was A Very Good Year - Features Willie Nelson
8. Hey Girl - Features Michael McDonald
9. Sinner's Prayer - Features B.B. King
10. Heaven Help Us All - Features Gladys Knight
11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Features Johnny Mathis
12. Crazy Love - Features Van Morrison

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8450 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Album Description
Even as Ray Charles' heath waned, the consummate musician always managed to dazzle. Genius Loves Company would be his last studio album, but is a fitting legacy for his remarkable career. Charles recorded his last song for Genius Loves Company in March 2004. The CD of duets with old friends and lifelong admirers--including Norah Jones, Van Morrison, Diana Krall, Elton John, Willie Nelson, BB King and Gladys Knight--is a testament to the high regard in which the music world held him.

Customer Reviews

Flawed farewell to the genius
Don't get me wrong this is a very good album. However some of the vocal tracks by Ray are rather strained vocally and to some extent like Sinatra was on his 2 "duet" albums he is outshone by his guests. This is particularly so on "It was a very good year" where Willie Nelson does most of the singing and overall the track is excellent. On other tracks Ray's vocals are less strained but didn't he always strain to such marvellous effect! The man still had so much "soul" even at the end of his life. Well worth buying.

Rock critics know nothing
While "Q" slagged this CD off you got the impression that it was not going to be their office listening or that anyone would actually buy it-unless Q staff get freebies.
But here its a case of something rather special where the only country song is done in a duet with a jazz singer and the only country singer duets with a Frank Sinatra song!
Which shows I suppose how Ray Charles' music reached all the bases.
The only fault I can find is it should have been a double

So, so good!
Apart from Ray Charles there are many fine performers and performances on this album - I particularly like the tracks with Norah Jones Diana Krall and Natalie Cole. If you like Ray Charles this is for you.

This would get 5 stars but Over The Rainbow is an absolute bummer when Johnny Mathis joins in and not not even Ray Charles can carry Van Morrison. It Was a Very Good Year sucks while Sweet Potato Pie with James Taylor doesn't really suits Ray Charles nor does Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word with Elton John.

The score so far-
3 tracks Suck - (2 if you can force yourself to listen to Van Morrison)
2 tracks OK
7 tracks Superb - so incredibly good that it almost makes 5 stars anyway.

This is still one of my current favourites and gets regular playtime.
Strongly recommended.