(Concord)

www.concordmusicgroup.com

Truth in advertising takes a slight hit as this is not really the ultimate Ray Charles collection. That would be synonymous with the complete Ray Charles collection. There aren't many artists whose catalogues are as watertight as Ray's is. With the jury long out in regarding his contribution to the world of music and his immense talent, the criteria for judging posthumous reissues is essentially limited to the packaging and the selection of songs; the performance, production etc. are pretty much consistently excellent.

This collection has a handsome package that includes a 24 page booklet well annotated by Don Heckman and a choice collection of photos; still interesting despite the limitations of a CD booklet.  The song selection is just short of perfect; to be that it would have needed to include Charles' heart tugging rendition of Roemheld and Parish's "Ruby."

But look what it's got: "Hit The Road Jack" was not only a cross-cultural hit on the pop, country and r&b charts, it was a cross generational hit that rocked ‘em from six to sixty; if a dance could have been created from it, it would have rivaled "The Twist." Charles was consistently on every variation of the pop charts, especially the country charts with tunes like "I Can't Stop Loving You" but also with the less obviously country and western "Georgia On My Mind." Like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra he transcended petty boundaries; you could buy a Ray Charles record on any side of town.

There's only so much room on a single CD and there's a lot to choose from with someone like Ray Charles. There's always something that will seem unjustly overlooked to the one who loves it, but there's nothing to kick about as far as what is here; like almost any Charles collection it is addictively listenable.

2009 will see a major re-release of Charles' best albums from the long high apex of his remarkable career. Each of those discs - especially Genius = Soul = Jazz - will be worth having especially considering the probable bells and whistles likely to be included. But this is a great appetite whetter and a perfect way to introduce someone to or remind someone of the greatness of a remarkable artist; one who was still so close to the top of his game when he passed away that there isn't a gauge precise enough to measure the difference.

Standout Tracks: "Drown IN My Own Tears"; "Hide Nor Hair" RICK ALLEN