Ray Charles "Genius Loves Company"

Just downloaded the last release by Ray before he died in June entitled "Genius Loves Company" containing duets with, in his own words, "friends that I love and artists that I admire" (see review here). One of the drawbacks of listening via Napster rather than buying the album is the lack of credits. I'd love to know who did the over the top arrangements on this album. It's an amazing compilation and really shows how Ray makes a song his own. Here's my assessment of the cuts that make it and those that fail upon first hearing (it is growing on me).

1. "Here We Go Again" with Nora Jones. Well, Nora holds her own here. Ray has released slightly C&W songs in the past and the two of them mesh well. I like the choice of material. I wish I could see the credits to see who is playing what. I assume Ray is on piano. Organist Billy Preston absolutely steals the show, both in his tasteful accompanying and with his fabulous solo on the Hammond B3 .
2. "Sweet Potato Pie" with James Taylor. Although Ray appears to be having fun, Taylor doesn't waver from his sustained style. It just doesn't mesh with Ray's stacato soul delivery. The song is a little hokey for me. Nice horn arrangement and whomever is playing guitar is wonderful.
3. "You Don't Know Me" with Diana Krall. I am a huge Diana Krall fan, as I'm sure Ray was, but unless she is playing for herself with her own arrangements, you can tell she is just plain uncomfortable. I didn't even recognize her voice upon listening and wondered who this lousy singer was. It reminded me of Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. In addition, the song is pitched in too low a key for Diana. This has always been one of my favorite Ray Charles songs so I was more than usually disappointed with the performance.
4. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" with Elton John. Great song, but Elton is singing too hard and is trying to match Ray and it just doesn't work for him. This is an impression that I had on a lot of the cuts - the visitor is trying too hard while Ray just lays back and is Ray.
5. "Fever" with Natalie Cole. Fabulous. This girl knows how to sing jazz, the arrangement is fun and upbeat and they are obviously both enjoying themselves.
6. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" with Bonnie Raitt. Bonnie is the only non-black performer who meshes with Ray. She knows how to play the blues and her slide guitar is a real addition to the track. Love Bonnie!
7. "It Was a Very Good Year" with Willie Nelson. Other than the obvious pangs of hearing Ray sing "And now the days grow short, I'm in the autumn of my years," it is the worst of this collecton. You can almost hear the orchestrator bragging about how wonderful his way over the top arrangement is. It might work for a movie, but it certainly doesn't go with Ray's and Willie's sparse, soulful deliveries. Yuck factor = 10. Somehow I never noticed the chauvinist factor in this song when Frank Sinatra sang it. Maybe I can't get Willie Nelson's "All the Girls I've Loved Before" off my mind....
8. "Hey, Girl" with Michael McDonald. Pretty fun. OK, I take it back, Michael McDonald has enough soul factor and is the only other white guy on the album to mesh with Ray. He doesn't waver from his own style and even brings Ray up to his vocal level. I could do without the little flute phrases in the arrangement. Wow, I don't like this arranger. I sure would like to know who it is. Anyone???
9. "Sinner's Prayer" with B. B. King. Wow. These two are obviously friends and musical cohorts. What fun to listen to this wonderful collaboration with Ray showing off his fabulous piano playing against BB's blues guitar. Again, Billy Preson shines on the Hammond organ. The cuts with a real band rather than that lush mush of an orchestra shine! Shame on producer John Burk.
10. "Heaven Help Us All" with Gladys Knight . Gladys is fab. Good arrangement.
11. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Johnny Mathis. String-fest.
12. "Crazy Love" with Van Morrison. Besides being one of my all-time favorite songs, these two rock the house with this one. It is a live performance, which adds to it, and nothing like the Rayettes to do those wonderful backup parts. Van's style matches Ray to a tee. GREAT!