Ray Charles [Atlantic]

Liner Note Author: Guy Remark.
Issued under the title Ray Charles in 1957, this Jerry Wexler-produced set was Ray Charles' debut album for Atlantic Records, and it was a gem, with powerful, timeless performances of "I Got a Woman," Henry Glover's "Drown in My Own Tears, Ahmet Ertegun's "Mess Around," a stomping version of "Hallelujah I Love Her So," and Lowell Fulson's "Sinner's Prayer," among other vintage Charles delights. The album was reissued in 1962 with the title Hallelujah I Love Her So, and has since also been reissued under the title Rock & Roll, but whatever it's called, it introduced one of the most dynamic performers of the 20th century to a new and wider audience. ~ Steve Leggett