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23 January 2016

Ray Charles Live In Geneva (1970)

On October 23, 1970 the Ray Charles Band played a concert at the Victoria Hall in Geneva. Don't miss the remarkable version of Going Down Slow, which included a solo on (muted) trumpet by Johnny Coles and some bone chilling notes added by Joe Randazzo on bass trombone (he even got a reprise) - I guess both to kill the off-beat clapping from the audience. Rather special is also Games People Play (so far only known from a performance with Andy Williams and Mama Cass), featuring Vernita Moss and Susaye Greene.
The concert was taped from the audience; the audio quality is reasonable. The setlist was:

  1. Unidentified instrumental
  2. Hallelujah I Love Her So
  3. Georgia On My Mind
  4. Marie
  5. Yesterday
  6. The Bright Lights And You Girl
  7. Going Down Slow
  8. Intro Raelettes + If You Were Mine
  9. I Can't Stop Loving You
  10. Show Me The Sunshine
  11. Eleanor Rigby
  12. Games People Play
  13. What'd I Say + Outro

Unidentified instrumental (with Genius Shout!):

Hallelujah I Love Her So:

Georgia On My Mind:

Marie:

Yesterday:

The Bright Lights And You Girl:

Going Down Slow:

Intro Raelettes + If You Were Mine:

I Can't Stop Loving You:

Show Me The Sunshine:

Eleanor Rigby:

Games People Play:

What'd I Say, Outro:


The line-up was probably identical to the personnel performing earlier that month, in Paris:
Johnny Coles, Bill King, Blue Mitchell - trumpets; Glenn Childress, Henry Coker, Fred Murrell, Joe Randazzo - trombones; Jay Cloyd Miller, Curtis Peagler - alto saxophones; Andy Ennis, David Newman - tenor saxophones; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone, band leader; Ernie Elly - drums; Ben Martin - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; Truman Thomas - organ. The Raelettes: Susaye Greene, Mable John, Vernita Moss, Estella Yarbrough.

* Special thanks to Uroš Perić.