The Genius of Ray Charles

Released in October 1959 on Atlantic, it was recorded on 6 May and 23 June 1959 at 6 West Recording in New York, with Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler producing. The first side sets the Charles band, with David Newman, beside players from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, in arrangements by Quincy Jones, Ernie Wilkins, Ralph Burns, Johnny Acea and Al Cohn. The second side is six ballads arranged by Burns for a large string orchestra. Each side holds a tribute to Louis Jordan, Let the Good Times Roll and Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'. Come Rain or Come Shine, a song identified with Frank Sinatra, put the attention on his voice alone, without the distraction of his piano and band.

It sold fewer than 500,000 copies and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200. Joe Goldberg of American Record Guide panned the arrangements at the time but praised Charles's piano playing and called Am I Blue the highlight. Scott Yanow of AllMusic later wrote that Charles's voice is heard in peak form throughout. Robert Christgau praised Wexler and Nesuhi Ertegun for persuading five arrangers into the subtlest charts of Charles's career, and said that except for Modern Sounds he never again assembled so consistent an album in this mode. Rolling Stone ranked it number 263 in 2003 and number 265 in 2012.