Genius Loves Company (2004) was Ray Charles' last album, a collaborative affair with various musicians and singers handpicked by Ray himself. Liver cancer would end Ray's life before the album was released to great commercial success and won eight Grammy Awards. The album's Grammy Awards were in part sentimental wins, and I must admit that my five star rating is, too. Sentimentality is what Genius Loves Company is really all about. It's by no means Ray Charles at his peak as a performer. In fact, he's not in good health, way past his best days, and just doing the best he can to keep up with everyone else. And that's just fine with me. The singers here all feel incredibly honored to be chosen by Ray to participate in this special project, and each one knows that in his prime Ray Charles could outperform all of them put together. The atmosphere is almost like a celebration or a party to honor the beloved legend. It's schmaltzy and sentimental, and everyone is celebrating and complimenting (in quotes in the liner notes) the great Ray Charles.

I really went into Genius Loves Company determined that I was going to like it, no matter what. And even though Ray's worn and tired vocal performance produced a few shakey moments, by the time I got to the end of the album, I did like it. I also had a tear in my eye, and a new level of love and respect for who Ray Charles actually was, the legend that he is, and how he overcame the odds like he did.

Here We Go Again (w/Norah Jones) opens the album and sounds wonderful (it won a Grammy for Record Of The Year). It's followed by the fun of Sweet Potato Pie (w/James Taylor) and the uneasy blues of You Don't Know Me (w/Diana Krall). The haunting Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (w/Elton John) is a favorite of mine here, and the orchestrated arrangement highlights the song perfectly. The funky and jazzy Fever (w/Natalie Cole) and the country meets jazz Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (w/Bonnie Raitt) are both winners, and Ray's soulful, but subdued singing is still a joy to listen to as the old spark returns here and there. Ray's old and close friend Willie Nelson joins him on the heavily orchestrated It Was A Very Good Year. The song is perfect here and is sort of a turning point for the album. Knowing what good friends these two were for so many years makes it even more special. Of course, Willie didn't come to the party empty handed. He brought Trigger (his trademark and beat up old guitar) with him and you can hear it in the arrangement. B.B. King brought Lucille (his famous guitar) with him, too, and joins Ray for what's probably the best song on the album, Sinner's Prayer. With Billy Preston providing the organ and B.B. playing his guitar, Ray and B.B. belt out the blues, and Ray sounds better and more comfortable in this setting than he does anywhere on the album. Heaven Help Us All (w/Gladys Knight) is a gospel flavored highlight and quite an emotional and beautiful piece of music. Hey Girl (w/Michael McDonald) and Somewhere Over The Rainbow (w/Johnny Mathis) both work well and fit comfortably with the album's reflective spirit. There's also a good live version of Crazy Love (w/Van Morrison) from the night Ray inducted Van (by Van's request) into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Genius Loves Company will pain some who don't want to be bothered with hearing a legend way past his prime sing his songs anymore, but I quite enjoy hearing this man giving it another shot, holding his own with some of the world's greatest singers. Ray Charles deserved this album, he more than earned it, I'm glad I own it, and it makes me proud to listen to it. Thank you, Ray Charles.

If you just want to get everything Ray ever did, add this to your collection. If you're looking for something, don't look here. What happened to the time when performers brought their best when thay had a chance to sing with a legend. Like Aretha an Ray, or, Gladys and Ray. Even Billy Joel and Ray, Baby Grand was an exquisite song.

I love music, but I'm not a "word guy". Words and voice must be musical in addition to their meaning. Too many singers don't understand this as well as they should. Most of the singers on this album seem to understand that their voice is not just for recitation of the lyrics but is an instrument - and they excel at it. This is truly a wonderful album to listen to and I just never tire of it.

Ray has obviously mastered his craft and it shows in this album. You can clearly hear him mentoring Norah Jones in "Here We Go Again" and hear the pride in his voice when she rises to his standards. And Billy Preston and his Hammond B3 is so important there that it's almost a trio rather than a duet.
You can hear the give and take as he nudges Elton John out of his usual style and the delight when it works. The synergy with BB King is that of two old friends in a tight game of rummy - each with his own style and each knowing the others so well that neither wins or loses and both are happier for it. Bonnie Raitt seems to carry "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" with Ray just along for a ride, but it works perfectly.
There is so much music here and so much pride and so much joy. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

Wish I'd saved my money. It was so disappointing to listen to wonderful guest singers married up with inappropriate songs. This was strictly a money-making proposition.

This is the worst thrown together compilation of artists I've ever heard. Ray's vocals are terrible on this, and the collaboration with other artists seemed to be more about putting thir names on the outside of the album than actually making good music.

This is an excellent album. Ray chose some of the world's most outstanding artists to sing with him - artists with varied styles, from country to pop to R&B. I especially enjoyed the duets with Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis and Norah Jones.

Good music, great talent. Norah Jones, James Taylor, B.B. King! with past and current stars this CD is totally enjoyable. Willie Nelson's set is my favorite and I can't forget to mention Diana Krall.

When I was a kid, I was privileged to grow up with great music always playing in the house. From my grandfather I inherited a love for classical, and for country when it was still "country and western." From my dad, though, I inherited my appreciation for Ray Charles.

At the time, I was listening to a lot of soul, like Smokey Robinson and Otis Redding, and rock, like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. After hearing a record of "What'd I Say" and "Hit the Road Jack," I asked my father what kind of music that was. "That's Ray Charles," he told me. I told him I wanted to know what kind of music he was playing. He gave me the same answer.

It took me a while to understand what he was getting at. Charles's music was beyond category; it was his own invention, completely and utterly sui generis.

Take, for instance, his now-classic arrangement of "America the Beautiful." My grade school music teacher actually thought I was unpatriotic because I couldn't stand the standard version of the song. But it wasn't the words I had a problem with--only the juvenile, sing-song meter: I thought the song wasn't fit to be representing my country. Years later, after I left the Army, I saw Charles on television performing "America the Beautiful" before a baseball game. Using a gospel rhythm on his piano and singing off the backbeat, he transformed it into something so magnificently inspired that he made it all his own--and one of my all-time favorites. I guess that's why he's called, not "a genius," but "The Genius."

Charles died in 2004 at the age of seventy-three. His last work, Genius Loves Company, an album of duets, was a labor of love by an incomparable artist who knew his days were numbered. It was in the tradition of other famous duet releases, beginning in 1991 with Natalie Cole's Unforgettable: With Love--the remarkable album featuring studio-engineered duets with her deceased father, Nat King Cole--and followed by star-studded duet albums from Frank Sinatra (1993) and Tony Bennett (Playin' with My Friends, 2001).

Genius Loves Company opens strong, with Charles's country/blues hit from the 1960s, "Here We Go Again"--this time a collaboration with Grammy-winning newcomer Norah Jones. There's a cover with Diana Krall of Eddy Arnold's country classic "You Don't Know Me," which Charles also recorded in 1962. On this take, the lyrics are parsed at just the right points, letting Krall's satiny vocals work off Charles's gravelly blues. For a duet with Willie Nelson on the Sinatra classic "It Was a Very Good Year," the two old-timers barely sing, but rather narrate the lyrics, much like Jimmy Durante, or Walter Huston in his performance of "September Song." On "Sinner's Prayer" B.B. King is along for the ride with his beloved Lucille. With King's scorching guitar work a perfect counterpoint to the staccato rhythms of Ray's chords, and Billy Preston backing up on the Hammond organ, this is the album's strongest cut. A finger-snapping rendition of "Fever" with Natalie Cole and an a cappella gospel take on "Crazy Love" with Van Morrison round out this solid effort.

Although Charles passed away before Genius Loves Company was released, he must have known that he was going out on top. While recording the album, he worked with director Taylor Hackford and actor Jamie Foxx on the biopic of his life story, Ray. At the 2005 Grammy awards Genius Loves Company walked off with all the important trophies, and Foxx took home the best actor Academy Award for his uncanny portrayal of the legendary musician.

Okay, it's a cliché, but it's still true: Ray Charles may be gone, but his music will be with us forever.

Ray Charles by himself is genius, but to pair up with some of musics most distinguished artists and provide listeners with a variety of soulful and beautiful music is simply fantastic. The opening track is a great start with Norah Jones. Though I am not much of a country fan the Willie Nelson Duet gives me shivers from its great color and depth. I love all of the tracks and often will grab my partner and dance to the tracks because it is so great!

This is actually my second time purchasing this CD because I had to give it to someone who I new would love the music.

This CD is fantastic and I love the duets of old favorites being given a
new "flavor" by Ray Charles and friends. It's soothing music, and yet it
energizes.

Both of us love this Ray Charles CD. We enjoy all the tracks! Each track is a duet with a different performer, and they're all great!

I receive this gift and really enjoyed it. Have purchased it to send to others

I definitly do not regret this purchase..... it is a great album.

This is a great CD for Ray Charles fans. You also might want to look for the tribute concert that was filmed at the Staples Center. I attended the concert and now have the DVD. A must see!!

I picked this CD up as a birthday gift for a friend, who loves Ray Charles. He hadn't seen this album yet, and was very pleased with it, both as a Ray Charles fan, and as a music listener. I've listened to the CD as well, and while it's not my favorite choice, the audio quality does sound good. Recommended.

I enjoyed the songs on this CD very much. It has a variety of styles from country to rock to pop and blues. I would recommend it to anyone even if not a Ray Charles fan. There are superstars singing and or playing on every selection.

I was disappointed in some of the songs on this CD, particularly the one with Willie Nelson. Ray and Willie's rendition of "Seven Spanish Angels" would have been a much better selection for this CD than what they did. I skip that song when listening to the CD. He and Nora Jones did a fabulous job as well as he and Gladys Knight, and he and BB King. The CD is worth having for those three songs.

I love Ray Charles when Ray's doing Ray. This was terrible. Ray was out of tune, out of touch and the song selection was ridiculous. I'm sorry Ray, I love you. It's a shame this had to be one of your last CD's.

An alternate title could be "Ray sells out," and the only reason it won all those Grammys is because he died. It has some great songs. It has others with sappy arrangements from the Burt Bacharach/Richard Carpenter school of blandness. It's just too uneven to win anything solely on its merits. None of Ray's writing, and none of what I would call his signature tracks. But maybe he was old enough to get tired of playing the same damn songs all the time. Ray lost some of his edginess, but he could still play a mean piano, and of the 13 singers on this CD, he has the most soulful voice. Some great music on this CD, and I'm glad I own it. You got the right thing, uh huh.

This CD is wonderful. Ray Charles is classic and soulful. The "company" is fabulous!

It's interesting to hear Ray bring his special style to the various artists he performs with. Some songs are much more dynamic than others. I've listened to it a few times, but it's not an album I'm going to bring out to play again and again. I'd say it's really one for the hard-core Ray Charles fan.

"Genius Loves Company" is an excellent album. Ray Charles performs 12 unforgettable duets with artists old and new. The dozen gems included on this CD illustrate the deep and genuine respect Brother Ray commanded from his contemporaries. I can't think of many folks capable of getting such a diverse group of sidemen: JT, Norah, Willie, Elton, B.B., Bonnie, Diane Krall Costello, and Johnny Mathis (!) are standouts. But there're no lean efforts whatsoever.

Of the bunch, Van Morrison's set-closing "Crazy Love" is tops. Recorded at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony where Brother Ray inducted Mr. Morrison, it's everything that makes you love music. The sound is performed on an artistic tightrope without a net. It's edgy, spontaneous, compulsive, and filled with a heart-full-of-soul (oh yeah, mama!).

It will be very vogue to worship at the alter of Brother Ray during this post-mortem period. But good as this CD is, it's far from Brother Ray's finest effort. The true importance of this should be as an honest introduction to his expansive catalogue.

I'm tempted to say "Rest in Peace, Brother Ray." But way up there amongst the heavenly choir, I just know he's got the joint moving to the sounds that fill eternity.

I bought Genius Loves Company after I saw the movie 'Ray' and had the pleasure of being able to picture him as I heard him sing with Bonnie Raitt. Their recording was premier on the CD but I am very partial to Bonnie and her excellent slide guitar work. Van Morrison put aside his tendency to be stern and his scat work was good. James Taylor, the southern man, enjoyed his performance. I could hear it.

I've known and loved Ray Charles' music since he formed the Raylettes and crossed over into mainstream music when I was about fifteen. I've enjoyed each song he's recorded, bought many '45s, LPs and CDs, have my favourites and it wasn't until the 1980s that I discovered the double LP of his earliest years dating back to 1949. I bought the CD as soon as it became available.

There wasn't a song I was unhappy with on "Genius". I am not an expert on arrangement, orchestration or other technical bumpf, but I am knowledgeable regarding good sound. It sounded excellent to me and I didn't catch his tiredness. I especially enjoyed Somewhere Over The Rainbow with Johnny Mathis and You Don't know me with Norah Jones. Johnny Mathis and Ray singing together took me back to my teens and I will be sixty this year. I can imagine the fun he had recording those cuts.

That is what I got from this final recording. Fun. Ray's incredible capacity for fun throughout his life and struggles was one of the facets of his great persona that he has left with us.

He didn't have a disability when he sat at his piano and began to sing. I saw him in an outdoor concert venue once and wept with love and sheer delight. That is feeling I had when I bought his final recording. He is one in a million and as long as we have this technology we will have The Genius with us.

When I heard about Ray Charles passing about a couple of years ago, I was just surprised. I really never knew just how influential and deep his soulful arrangements of great songs have been from his early 50's and 60's days. But, when I found out about some great songs, I just knew his spirit was just alive and well. While I do think it remains a shame that so many of the younger generation seems to be more interested in Beyonce', Jennifer Lopez, Usher, and many other of those manufactured acts. Nevrtheless, Ray's last album does deliver what most of those acts haven't certified, a remarkable duet.

Genius Loves Company, the 2004 final original studio album from Ray Charles is a well-recognized assortment of great duet partners from Natalie Cole and Bonnie Raitt, to Diana Krall and Elton John. The album doesn't deliver anything all out fancy, but a straight-forward, simple pop album. The collaborations are really great and deeply soulful from Fever with Natalie Cole, to Hey Girl with former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, and Diana Krall on the Ray Charles classic You Don't Know Me. Arguably, the record doesn't miss out on anything out of the ordinary, except there just could've been a little more. Still, Genius Loves Company does deliver a mix of old school soul and R&B that is pleasing to any crowd.

All in all, Genius Love Company is a remarkable record, and is one of the most unique duets' records ever released. I just hope that the next generation can really get into Ray Charles and his soulful bluesy voice. This is one of the best records I've ever heard from the past few years and it remains a guilty pleasure delight from a man who did let those good times roll.

Album Cover: B

Songs: B+

Mastering: A-

Price: B+

Overall: B 1/2+

I am glad that I had a unique opportunity to see such a great legend in concert during my graduate days in New Haven, CT a year or so before he passed. Thanks Ray!

Sometimes I think that children shouldn't be allowed to post album reviews here, they are simply too immature to do so intelligently. It is at the very least obvious that they do not possess or have not heard the album. And, there are few children under 25 who even know who Ray Charles is, so I say send 'em back to the playground and let 'em mature for 20 years.

The Grammy Awards doesn't or shouldn't reward new music; it rewards GOOD music. The awards are voted on by other Grammy winners. It's not a popularity contest, like the Golden Globes or People's Choice. The Grammys are almost exclusively peer review.

So. Why did GLC win 8 Grammys? Because it was nominated for at least that many. Because many of the people who voted for it were at least in part influenced by the man Ray Charles and are at the very least a fan of him and the people who participated in the album.

Most of all, because for a dying man's last hurrah, this album was damn good.

I can only imagine the honor the guest artists felt to be a part of what would turn out to be a historic recording. Johnny Mathis beamed with pride while his duet, "Over The Rainbow", was played at Ray Charles' funeral during the viewing of the body. Mathis, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Gladys Night, Natalie Cole, BB King, and Sir Elton John all got Grammy Awards because of their participation in this album.

Those too young to appreciate this album probably shouldn't buy it. That's as it should be. But those of us mature enough to know a 70 year old can't sing like a teenager, bought it or were gifted it as a tribute to a legend, were rewarded by the fact that the quality is still there despite the frailty, and speaking only for me, I'm honored to have it in my possession.

To all those "gangsta's" who think 50 cent is actually an artist, or even worth a 50 cent purchase, here's a little history lesson - Mr. Charles' was, and still is a GIANT among boys when it comes to music. Perhaps when you grow some facial hair you will begin to understand this.

The voice, the sound, the man. Ray Charles will live on, while 50 cent and others will be remembered as mere insects splattered on the windshield of sound.

There is nothing new or innovative about this record. The only reason it won a grammy was because he died. I don't hate Ray Charles or his music but it pisses me off that becuase some old guy died all the new music gets looked over to honor him.

What a joke. They shoulda awarded those grammies to talented musical genuses like 50 cent and Jessica Simpson. Ray Charles was a great singer, no doubt but compare him to 50 cent? dont even go there. Buy The Massacre instead.

Wow! Ray Charles calls himself a "Genius" on his new album? Um...show me the papers that say it. Your IQ is above genius level?
I worked hard to be called a genius. I had to compete in the Genius Olympics held every year in Boca Raton, Florida. I won gold in 6 events and set the world record in the "How high can you count?".
This album is ok, but Genius? Come on Raymond! I've never trusted people with 2 first names anyway...this just goes to prove my point even more. I say skip this album and get that Twista CD with Ray Charles on it.

This CD is absolutely phoenomenal. I didn't realize how much of a Ray Charles fan I was until I saw the movie and heard so many songs I already knew. Getting the CD was a must. Mr. Charles certainly opened my eyes to a whole new genre. Don't wait. Buy it NOW!

I LOVE this CD! Ray Charles IS a Genius....
the duets are amazing. My favorite by far is Sweet Potato Pie the with James Taylor. Although...the duet with Nora Jones, is a VERY close second. ALL of the artist's that performed are wonderful...and I highly recommend this CD to everyone!

The only song that was pathetic was Will Nelson and Charles attempting to do " It was a very good year" Really bad.

This album is great. I don't think that I've ever liked jazz so much before, seriously. Ray's genious really shows in this album as he plays some really good songs, none of them my favorite Ray Charles material, but still, really good stuff. This album changed my perspective on life, the music is timeless. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys good music.

This is a wonderful selection of timeless music and a great addition to any collection! i love Ray Charles and the duets on this CD are absolutly spectacular! there is MPEG included on the CD that is a great tribute and remeberence of the late Ray Charles, I have listened to it numerous times since i recieved it in the mail.