Such was Ray Charles's profile when he left Atlantic that he immediately secured one of the most lucrative deals of any artist at this time (including Elvis and Sinatra) when switching to ABC Paramount. The prime carrot wasn't exclusively money-driven but his new label's promise to expand his appeal from R&B jukebox hit maker (Atlantic singles such as ‘I Got A Woman’ and ‘Hallelujah I Love Her So’ failed to cross over from the black charts to enjoy Hot 100 success.) into the lucrative mainstream.

ABC Paramount guaranteed to rectify this situation. Utilising bigger budgets and their proven star-making acumen they positioned their new signing in ways he would generate more mainstream chart appeal while in person he could soon eschew most chitlin' circuit work to branch out into prestigious concert halls and premier night spots.

Though remaining true to his original R&B roots (‘Sticks And Stones’) with regulars such as Hank Crawford, Dave “Fathead” Newman and Marcus Belgrave still supplying the ‘grease’ that kept things in check, Brother Ray now greatly widened his repertoire to include a vast majority of new musical options. All the while his vocal performances remained undiminished no matter what material he wrapped his larynx around.

This welcome CD triple, that collects material from the first two years of what proved to be a 12-year long association with his new bosses, instantly confirms this fresh new approach paid both artistic and financial rewards for all involved.

In chronological order it highlights concept albums such as his magnificent big band collaboration with Quincy Jones, Genius + Soul = Jazz (‘One Mint Julep’), that featured Count Basie's Orchestra sans the boss, his excellent duets with Betty Carter (‘Baby It's Cold Outside’), Genius Hits The Road (‘Georgia On My Mind’), the Dedicated To You LP for which Marty Paich arranged songs that focused on girls names (‘Margie’) and finally two fabulous songs written exclusively for him, namely ‘Unchain My Heart’ and ‘Hit The Road Jack’.

Though by now he has eased off writing most of his material, few singers could ever come remotely close to Ray Charles when it came to such versatility and still retain their creditability. Meanwhile, the worldwide success of Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music was still in the future.