Album Notes

RAY CHARLES was a giant of 20th Century American popular music, and not just a master of already existing styles, but a true innovator, combining gospel, blues, jazz and country to create a powerful new sound that would eventually be called soul. Crucial professional years of this quintessentially Southern-sounding artist's career were spent in the Pacific Northwest. Ray moved to Seattle, Washington from Florida in 1947 where he made his earliest recordings for a variety of labels, including Swingtime, Downbeat, and Warwick. And it's from these recordings you'll find the selection on this disc, including his first top 10 R&B hit, "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand".