Given the chance to sing with America’s premier vocalist, who could resist? On his final album, Ray Charles found himself paired with music icons including Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole, Michael McDonald, James Taylor, B. B. King, Willie Nelson, Van Morrison, Johnny Mathis, and Gladys Knight. The high spirits and good cheer -- not to mention the top-notch singing -- that pervade the album testify to the respect that Charles engendered and the passion he could inspire in others. Charles could sing anything, and here he gets a chance to prove his versatility once again. He touches on his own standards (“You Don’t Know Me,” “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” and “Here We Go Again”), interacting majestically with Krall, Raitt, and Jones, respectively; touchstones from his guests' careers (John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and Morrison’s “Crazy Love”); and perfectly tailored choices with others (the bluesy “Sinner‘s Prayer” with King, which Charles first recorded early in his career, the soulful “Hey Girl” with McDonald, a slinky “Fever” with Cole). Charles, in fine form, adapts every song to his inimitable style, and each guest finds a way to accommodate himself or herself to the master. In light of Charles’s passing just a few months before its release, Genius Loves Company takes on an affecting poignancy. Listen to Charles and Nelson’s autumnal musings on “It Was a Very Good Year,” and just try not to get a lump in your throat.
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