Spa Audience ‘Understands’ Ray Charles

by Don A. Metivier, The Glens Falls Times, June 27, 1968

“Understandin’ is the greatest thing in the world,” sang the great Ray Charles, and the chilled crowd of several thousand persons in the cavernous shell of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center responded all night, showing their “Understandin’ ” of the “soul” sound of the blind singer-composer-pianist and his swinging 16-piece band during their one-show performance last night.

Backed by one of the finest touring bands in the nation, which must be ranked with Buddy Rich’s new group and the Duke Ellington family, Charles “souled” his way through 18 songs, despite the damp chill caused by the days of rain and a temperature in the low 60’s.

The hour-long opening half of the show, featured Double-O-Soul, Billy Preston, the 22-year-old performer who will someday follow “Mr. Ray” as the star of the troupe.

Preston, the band and the Raeletts gave the crowd an excellent preview of the 90 minutes that followed intermission with Charles himself.

The big band featured four trumpets, four trombones, including an unusual bass trombone, five reeds, two guitars, with a bass guitar replacing the normal bass player, and drummer Billy Thompson. Preston played piano with the group in the opening part of the show, and Charles, of course, took over later, as Preston moved to the organ.

Charles opened up with an instrumental thing, based on the popular saying of the day, “Here Comes de Judge,” which showed the blind musician’s great swinging ability on the piano. He followed that up with a new ballad, “I Think About You Girl,” but then got the audience alive with one of his standards, Hoggy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind.”

The soul-singer rocked through “Margie,” and then imparted his genius to the hushed audience, so quiet you could hear Kaydeross Creek running outside the shell like Niagara, as he “expressed” his well known “Born to Lose.”

The Georgia-born musician picked up the tempo with a 1968-arrangment of the “Big Band Era” dance floor favorite, “You Made Me Love You,” and then moved to a Beatles’ hit, “Yesterdays.” The big crowd roared its approval all the way through “Alleluiah, I Just Love Her So,” and hushed again, showing his complete control of the mood, as Charles wailed a new torchy love ballad, “The Sun Died.”

Charles, blind since he was five years old, took a time out to talk to the audience, and his relaxing patter was as well
received as his music.

Joined by the Raeletts and Preston, he zipped through “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” giving showcases to various members of the big band

The audience responded immediately as he and the Raeletts covered another Charles hit, “It’s Crying Time.”

Again he paused to talk to the crowd, commenting. “It’s a bit chilly here tonight,” and as he sang you could see his breath make steam in the night air.

Featuring Sister Gwynn of the Raeletts, the group did the full treatment on Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe,” and why the Charles tour hasn’t recorded that, must be heavy on the conscience of someone at ABC-Paramount records.

Charles sang, “Understandin'” and another Beatles’ hit, “Eleanor Rigby,” before winding up a memorable evening with his most famous swing-piece, “It’s All Right.”

The audience brought him back for a scat-singing encore, he called “my operetta,” before his valet led him back from the warmth of an appreciative audience to the warmth of his dressing room.