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Genius Loves Company

Genius Loves Company is the final studio album by rhythm and blues and soul musician Ray Charles, posthumously released August 31, 2004, on Concord Records.[1] Recording sessions for the album took place between June 2003 and March 2004.[2] The album consists of rhythm and blues, soul, country, blues, jazz and pop standards performed by Charles and several guest musicians, such as Natalie Cole, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. Genius Loves Company was the last album recorded and completed by Charles before his death in June 2004.

Genius Loves Company

August 31, 2004

June 2003–March 2004

54:03

The album was produced by Concord A&R man, John Burk, who approached Charles with the concept of a duets album for a collaboration of Concord Records and Hear Music, the record label owned by the coffee chain Starbucks.[3] It served as the first original non-compilation release by Hear Music,[3] as well as one of Ray Charles' most commercially successful albums. On February 2, 2005, Genius Loves Company was certified triple-platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America following sales of over three million copies in the United States.[4] It also became Charles' second to reach number one on the Billboard 200, after Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962). On February 13, 2005, the album was awarded eight Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

: John Burk, Phil Ramone, Herbert Waltl, Don Mizell (producers), Terry Howard (producer & engineer/mixer), Robert Fernandez, John Harris, Pete Karam, Joel Moss, Seth Presant, Al Schmitt, Ed Thacker (engineers/mixers), Robert Hadley, Doug Sax (mastering engineers)

Grammy Award for Album of the Year

: Ray Charles and various artists

Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album

: Robert Fernandez, John Harris, Terry Howard, Pete Karam, Joel Moss, Seth Presant, Al Schmitt & Ed Thacker (engineers)

Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

: John Burk (Producer), Al Schmitt (surround mix engineer), Robert Hadley & Doug Sax (surround mastering)

Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album

: John Burk (producer), Terry Howard, Al Schmitt (engineers/mixers), Ray Charles & Norah Jones for "Here We Go Again"

Grammy Award for Record of the Year

: Ray Charles and Norah Jones for "Here We Go Again"

Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

: Ray Charles and Elton John for "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" (nominated)

Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

: Ray Charles & Gladys Knight for "Heaven Help Us All"

Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance

: Victor Vanacore (arranger) for "Over the Rainbow" performed by Ray Charles & Johnny Mathis

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Ray Charles – piano, Keyboards, vocals, author

Nathan Brackett; Christian David Hoard; Christian Hoard (2004). . excerpt by Douglas Wolk. Simon and Schuster, USA. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

Song by song analysis by Ray Charles – CD notes at Discogs.com

Genius Loves Company : Ray Charles : Concord Music Group