June 10, 2004 the legendary singer Ray Charles died. Although Charles explored all corners of music in his career, it had never come from an album of mere duets. The recordings for such a record were completed just in time in the year prior to his death. As Genius Loves Company - Charles got the nickname 'genius' at the start of his career with record company Atlantic - the CD is released posthumously.
How great his influence is on popular music is evident from the impressive guest list from every conceivable genre. For example, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, BB King, Michael McDonald, Gladys Knight and Van Morrison will perform, singing songs from both Charles's oeuvre and his guests. Not all duets are equally memorable, but the level is often high. Ray Charles himself makes the most impression, who even completely manipulates the melody of a well-known song like Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (with Elton John). Genius Loves Company is a fitting conclusion to the career of an artist who has no equal in popular music. (MS)more
