Ray Charles Croons Favorites for Crowd

(first published in The Cincinnati Post June 22, 1991)

If you bought a ticket for the Cincinnati Pops concert Friday night at Riverbend, you picked the right one baby.

That's right. The inimitable Ray Charles was in town, joining Erich Kunzel and the Pops on one of their most memorable recent concerts.

In his set following intermission, Charles wowed the crowd of several thousand (exact figures were unavailable from Cincinnati Symphony officials). In fact, he was greeted with a standing ovation even before he took his place at the piano.

The crowd's enthusiasm was well justified, for Charles pushed all the right buttons. Beaming his distinctive broad smile, he gave them such favorites as "Georgia on My Mind," "If You Go Away" and "Your Cheatin' Heart."

Everything he sang, however, was marked by his characteristic intensity, his feet always in motion, his body jerking right and left.

His opening "They Can't Take That Away From Me" had a jazzy spin, enhanced by electronic keyboard, while he moaned and crooned through "Georgia."

Ever the creative artist, Charles bent the vocals in "Eleanor Rigby" over a driving beat. He segued into a gospel-tinged "Yesterday" from Schumann's "Traumerei," then borrowed from country-western in "Take the Chains from My Heart and Set Me Free."

Kermit the Frog's "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" had a tender feel, while "If You Go Away" breathed the essence of blues.

It was in his final number that Charles really worked things up to a frenzy, though. "All I Ever Need is You" took on a life of its own as he took a few turns on the saxophone, then cranked the beat into irresistible motion at the piano. As a kind of encore, he sang "American the Beautiful," not without prefacing the well-

known text with some words of his own, including the pointed "let your success be nobleness." In all of this Kunzel provided an expert accompaniment, anticipating Charles' every move with perfect accuracy. The first half of the concert featured music by French composers, including a stylish arrangement of film music by Michel LeGrand in which Kunzel provided the piano solos.

Concert review - CINCINNATI POPS. Friday night, Riverbend. Ray Charles, guest artist. Erich Kunzel, conductor. Peter Turre, drums. Kenny Carr, guitar. Benoit Grey, bass. PROGRAM: Bizet, "Carmen" Suite. Offenbach, "American Eagle Waltz" (Charles Daval, trumpet). Michel LeGrand Medley (arr. Kunzel). Anderson, "Bugler's Holiday." Russell, Love Theme from "Shirley Valentine." Moroder, "What a Feeling" from "Flashdance." Love theme from "Ice Castles" (William Tritt, pianist). Ray Charles: "They Can't Take That Away From Me." "If You Go Away." "It Hurts to Be In Love." "Georgia." "Eleanor Rigby." "Yesterday." "Kiss the Good Life Goodbye." "It's Not Easy Bein' Green." "Take the Chains from My Heart." "Your Cheatin' Heart." "All I Ever Need is You ." "America the Beautiful."