Genius + Soul = Jazz

Released in 1961, Genius + Soul = Jazz finds Ray Charles working within a hard-hitting jazz framework. He collaborated with arrangers Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns to create these arrangements. The resulting material feels like a direct capture of an active, smoky venue.

This Impulse Records project highlights the intersection of blues and soul structures. The brass sections provide a heavy foundation for the organ work of Ray Charles throughout the set. These compositions serve as a clear illustration of the soul-jazz era.