DAVID "FATHEAD" NEWMAN - I REMEMBER BROTHER RAY (180g LP)

David "Fathead" Newman I Remember Brother Ray on 180g Vinyl LP

David 'Fathead' Newman’s warm tone, occasionally terse phrasing, and always heartfelt delivery placed him in high demand by artists as diverse as B.B. King, Herbie Mann, Jane Monheit, and Gregg Allman. With over twenty recordings to his name, I Remember Brother Ray stands as an understated highlight, a record that doesn't so much jump out at you as it does gently sidle up beside you and ingratiates itself with its warmth and affability. Newman got his first big break with Ray Charles in the early '50s, playing in his band from '54 through '64 and subsequently making numerous guest appearances over the years. And so Newman entered the studio of another legend, engineer Rudy Van Gelder just two months after Charles' death to record I Remember Brother Ray, a tribute to the jazzier side of a man who regarded himself as a jazz singer anyway.

The record evokes the ambience of a smoky bar in the early hours of the morning. Newman assembled a quintet as comfortable with the tender balladry of "Georgia on My Mind" as it is the soul-drenched blues of "Drown in My Tears." Charles believed that the ability to play jazz permits the ability to cross over into other genres, and the playing on I Remember Brother Ray clearly supports his conviction.

While there were quite a few Ray Charles tributes, few equaled I Remember Brother Ray for its grace, integrity, honesty, and pure connection to the true essence of Charles' legacy.

David "Fathead" Newman I Remember Brother Ray Track Listing

1. Hit The Road Jack
2. Georgia On My Mind
3. Drown In My Tears
4. When Your Lover Has Gone
5. Deed I Do
6. It Had To Be You
7. Them That Got (I Ain't Got Nothing Yet)