Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music

"The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues, see, very down.

They're not as dressed up, and the people are very honest and say, 'Look, I miss

you, darlin', so I went out and I got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it.

Where in Tin Pan Alley you will say, 'Oh, I missed you darling, so I went to this

restaurant and I sat down and I had dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you

see? But country songs and the blues is like it is." -- Ray Charles (speaking

to Ben Fong-Torres for Rolling Stone)

Presented here is the complete classic Ray Charles LP Modern Sounds in Country

& Western Music (ABC Paramount ABC-410), presenting amazing arrangements by

Marty Paich, Gerald Wilson and Gil Fuller. One of Ray Charles' best-selling albums

ever, it earned Charles a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording at

the 1963 Grammy Awards, while the album was nominated for a Grammy Award

for Album of the Year. In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. A

further song from the same sessions that wasn't included on the original LP has

been added as a bonus.

RAY CHARLES, vocals & piano, plus:

On tracks A1, B4 & B6: Martin Banks, Wallace Davenport,

Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt (tp), George Matthews, Jim

Herbert, Dicky Wells (tb), Keg Johnson (b-tb), Hank

Crawford, Rudy Powell (as), David "Fathead" Newman, Don

Wilkerson (ts), Leroy Cooper (bar), Sonny Forriest (g), Edgar

Willis (b), Bruno Carr (d). Los Angeles, February 5, 1962.

On tracks A3, A5 & B2: Probably the same group with Gil

Fuller (cond). Los Angeles, February 7, 1962.

On A2, A4, A6, B1, B3, B5 & B7: Marty Paich Orchestra

(similar personnel as above). Jack Hallorin (cond).

Los Angeles, February 9-15, 1962.

String arrangements by MARTY PAICH.

Big band arrangements by GERALD WILSON

& GIL FULLER.

Original recordings produced by Sid Feller.