Transcript Ray Charles - Frank Markovich

Ray Charles
First Recollection
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What’d I say
Really moved me
Not so difficult – just a blues but lots to it.
Done in the key of E – good for guitar.
Next 2 slides have harmony and words.
Ray Charles has the distinction of being both a national treasure and an international phenomenon. He
started out from no where; years later finds him a global entity.
Hundreds of thousands of fingers have hit typewriter and word processor keyboards telling and retelling
his story because it is uniquely American, an example of what we like to think is the best in us and of our
way of life.
The Ray Charles story is full of paradoxes, part and parcel of the American Dream.Rags to riches. Triumph
overcoming tragedy. Light transcending darkness.
The name Ray Charles is on a Star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. His bronze bust is enshrined
in the Playboy Hall of Fame. There is the bronze medallion cast and presented to him by the French
Republic on behalf of its people. There are the Halls of Fame: Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Rock & Roll. There
are the many gold records and the 12 Grammys...
There is the blackness and the blindness. There was the extreme poverty; there was the segregated South
into which he was born.
It is music, Ray Charles' single driving force, that catapulted a poor, black, blind, orphaned teenager from
there to here.
"I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know of..." he remarks in his
autobiography.
"Music was one of my parts... Like my blood. It was a force already with me when I arrived on the scene.
It was a necessity for me - like food or water."
"Music is nothing separate from me. It is me... You'd have to remove the music su rgically." Ray Charles
Robinson was not born blind, only poor.
The first child of Aretha and Baily Robinson was born in Albany, GA, on September 23, 1930.
He hit the road early, at about three months, when the Robinsons moved across the border to Greenville,
FL. It was the height of the Depression years. And the Robinsons had started out poor.
He hit the road early, at about three months, when the Robinsons moved across the border to Greenville,
FL. It was the height of the Depression years. And the Robinsons had started out poor.
"you hear folks talking about being poor," Charles recounts. "Even compared to other blacks. . . we were
on the bottom of the ladder looking up at everyone else. Nothing below us except the ground." It took
three years, starting when Ray Charles was four, for the country boy who loved to look at the blazing sun
at its height, the boy who loved to try to catch lightning, the boy who loved to strike matches to see their
fierce, brief glare, to travel the path from light to darkness.
But Ray Charles has almost seven years of sight memory - colors, the things of the backwoods country,
and the face of the most important person in his life: his mother, Aretha Robinson. St. Augustine's was
the Florida state school for the deaf and blind. Ray Charles was accepted as a charity student.
He learned to read Braille and to type. He became a skilled basket weaver. He was allowed to develop his
great gift of music.
He discovered mathematics and its correlation to music. He learned to compose and arrange music in his
head, telling out the parts, one by one.
He remained at St. Augustine's until his mother's death when he set out "on the road again" for the first
time as a struggling professional musician.
The road to greatness was no picnic, proverbial or literal. In fact, while earning his dues around and about
Florida, he almost starved at times, hanging around at various Musicians' Locals, picking up gigs when he
could.
He began to build himself a solo act, imitating Nat "King" Cole. When he knew it was time to head on, he
asked a friend to find him the farthest point from Florida on a map of the continental U.S.
Seattle, WA. For Ray Charles, the turning point.
In Seattle he became a minor celebrity in local clubs. There he met an even younger musician, Quincy
Jones, whom he took under his wing, marking the beginning of an inter-twining of two musical lifetimes...
It was from Seattle that he went to Los Angeles to cut his first professional recording. And it was in
Seattle, with Gossady McGee, that he formed the McSon Trio -- Robin (son) and (Mc) Gee -- in 1948, the
first black group to have a sponsored TV show in the Pacific Northwest.
Along the way he'd shortened his name in deference to the success of "Sugar" Ray Robinson.
As Ray Charles, he toured for about a year with Lowell Fulsom's band. He formed a group and played with
singer Ruth Brown. He played the Apollo, the landmark showcase for black talent. He aspired to Carnegie
Hall, then as now epitomizing the pinnacle of artistic success.
These were also the years that brought Charles the first band of his own, his first big hit record, "I Got A
Woman."
By the early 1960's Ray Charles had accomplished his dream. He'd come of age musically. He had become
a great musician, posting musical milestones along his route.
He'd made it to Carnegie Hall. The hit records ("Georgia," "Born to Lose") successively kept climbing to
the top of the charts. He'd made his first triumphant European concert tour in 1960 (a feat which, except
for 1965, he's repeated at least once a year ever since).
He'd treated himself to the formation of his first big band in 1961. In 1962, together with his long time
friend and personal manager, Joe Adams, he oversaw construction of his own office building and recording
studios in Los Angeles, RPM International.
He had taken virtually every form of popular music and broken through its boundaries with such awe
inspiring achievements as the LP's "Genius Plus Soul Equals Jazz" and "Modern Sounds in Country &
Western."
Rhythm & blues (or "race music" as it had been called) became universally respectable through his efforts.
Jazz found a mainstream audience it had never previously enjoyed. And country & western music began to
chart an unexpected course to general acceptance, then worldwide popularity. Along the way Ray Charles
was instrumental in the invention of rock & roll. In 1966 Thomas Thompson wrote in his profile of Ray
Charles for Life:
...his niche is difficult to define. The best blues singer around? Of course, but don't stop there. He is also
an unparalled singer of jazz, of gospel, of country and western.
...his niche is difficult to define. The best blues singer around? Of course, but don't stop there. He is also
an unparalled singer of jazz, of gospel, of country and western.
"He has drawn from each of these musical streams and made a river which he alone can navigate. His
music is still marked by the unpredictability that is the genius of consummate artistry.
He is master of his soul, musically and personally.
To this day he selects and produces his own recording material with utter disregard for trends. He doesn't
find the time nor necessity to write as much as he once did, but what he gleans, "from the attic of my
mind, " either old or new, is inevitably suprising, unique, "right."
In the past decade he has taken on George Gershwin ("Porgy and Bess"), Rodgers and Hammerstein
("Some Enchanted Evening," "Oh What a Beautiful Morning") and "America the Beautiful" -- all with
resounding, if unexpected, success.
Despite his intense reticence to expose the personal portion of his life to public scrutiny, Ray Charles is as
outspoken about his opinions on matters of global interest as he is about matters of music.
As a Southern Black, segregation was Ray Charles' dubious birthright. But racial tension and friction were
not a part of his early rural years. At St. Augustine's the rules of segregation were strictly adhered to,
both for the deaf and the blind children, a fact that even young Ray Charles found ironic.
It was on the road in the 1950's that the realities of segregation, its evils, its injustices, even its ludicrous
moments, became apparent to Charles and his troupe of traveling musicians.
It was a concert day in Augusta, GA that brought the issue of segregation vs. civil rights to a head for Ray
Charles.
A promoter insisted that a date we were about to play be segregated: the blacks upstairs and the whites
I told the promoter that I didn't mind segregation, except that he had it backwards. . . After all, I was
black and it only made sense to have the black folk close to me. . . Let him sue. I wasn't going to play.
And I didn't. And he sued. And I lost. This was the incident that propelled Ray Charles into an active role
in the quest for racial justice, the development of social consciousness that led him to friendship with and
moral and financial support of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960's.
...early on, I decided that if I was going to shoot craps on anyone's philosophy, I was putting my money
on Martin Luther King Jr.
"I figured if I was going to pick up my cross and follow someone, it could only be Martin.
Despite his deep commitment to King and the cause of black Americans, Charles came to the logical
conclusion that there was no place for him physically in the front lines:
First, I wouldn't have known when to duck when they started throwing broken bottles at my head. And I
told that to Martin personally.
"When he intentionally broke the law, he was hauled off to jail. And when you go to jail, you need money
for lawyers, for legal research, for court fees, for food for the marchers. I saw that as my function; I
helped raise money." His awareness of racial injustice was not limited to the home front: The same years
he fought the war against racial injustice in the American South found in Charles a growing awareness of
racial injustice abroad, particularly the notorious policy of apartheid in South Africa.
Modest to the point of mum about his humanitarian and charitable activities, Ray Charles makes an
exception for the State of Israel and world Jewry.
Among the many, the world leader Charles has most enjoyed meeting is David Ben-Gurion, with whom he
had a conversation of many hours during a concert tour of Israel not long before Ben-Gurion's death.
And the award among the hundreds he claims to have touched him the most is the Beverly Hills Lodge of
B'nai Brith's tribute to its "Man of the Year" in 1976. Even though I'm not Jewish," he explains," and even
though I'm stingy with my bread, Israel is one of the few causes I feel good about supporting.
"Blacks and Jews are hooked up and bound together by a common history of persecution. . .
"If someone besides a black ever sings the real gut bucket blues, it'll be a Jew. We both know what it's
like to be someone else's footstool.
But it all comes back to music, so inseparable from Ray Charles.
He keeps rolling along, doing what he does uniquely and wondrously well.
Ray Charles is a national treasure and a global phenomenon for this reason:
He is music; he is himself; he is a master of his soul.
What’d I Say
E
Hey mama, don't you treat me wrong
Come and love your daddy all night long
A
E
B7
A E B7
All right now, hey hey, all right
E
See the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
A
E
All right now now now, hey hey, hey hey
B7
A E B7
E
Tell your mama, tell your pa
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas
A
E
B7
A E
Oh yes, ma'm, you don't do right, don't do right Aw, play it boy
Inter
E
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
A
E
B7
Now yeah, all right, all right, aw play it, boy
E
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
A
E
B7
Now yeah, hey hey, all right
A E B7
A E B7
B7
E
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
A
E
B7
Now yeah, hey hey, all right
A E B7
E
See the girl with the red dress on
She can do the Birdland all night long
A
E
B7
Yeah yeah, what'd I say, all right
E
Well, tell me what'd I say, yeah
Tell me what'd I say right now
A
Tell me what'd I say
E
Tell me what'd I say right now
B7
Tell me what'd I say
A
E
B7
Tell me what'd I say yeah
E
And I wanna know
Baby I wanna know right now
A
And-a I wanna know
A E B7
Next slide has bass part
• Ray played this on piano.
• Fender Rhodes sound.
• If in a band have guitar and bass double
this part.
• This outlines 3 notes of the chord, the root,
5th and b7 of each chord.
Play in 1st position
Secondary Melodic Idea
• This happens every other time.
• It is a rhythmic figure comprised of the root
and the b7 of each chord.
• 1st one is in 1st position, 2nd is up at 7th
position. Either work fine.
This is a backup
part. Could also
do an octave
higher.
The fill at the end
• 2 ways to play.
• It is just an E7 arpeggio
• Same idea as ending line to “I Feel Fine”
by James Brown and Jose Feliciano’s
version of “Light My Fire”.
• Again the Chord rules.
Your Cheatin’ Heart
•
•
•
•
•
Great feel
Written by Hank Williams (Sr).
One of Ray’s country hits.
Does have a blues feel.
Chords are very traditional country: I IV and V
and one time to the II7 not minor II7 but a
dominant chord. Very common in Country
music! In C;
–
–
–
–
I=C
IV = F
V=G
II = D
Your Cheatin Heart
G
C
F
Your cheatin' heart will make you weep;
G
C
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep,
C
F
But sleep won't come the whole night through -G
C
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
F
C
When tears come down like fallin' rain,
D7
G7
You'll toss around and call my name.
C
F
You'll walk the floor the way I do -G
C
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
Your cheatin' heart will pine some day;
You'll crave the love you threw away;
The time will come when you'll be blue -Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
When tears come down like fallin' rain,
You'll toss around and call my name.
You'll walk the floor the way I do -Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
C
G
C
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
F
C
Hit The Road Jack
• Whole song is Am G F E
• Similar at the time to Walk Don’t Run
• More modern would be like Stray Cat Strut
Hit The Road Jack
Am
G
F
E
Hit the Road Jack and don'tcha come back
Am
G
F
E
No more no more no more no more,
Am
G
F
E
Hit the Road Jack and don'tcha come back
Am G F E
No more
Am
G
F
E
Hit the Road Jack and don'tcha come back
Am
G
F
E
No more no more no more no more,
Am
G
F
E
Hit the Road Jack and don'tcha come back
Am G F E
No more
Am
G
F
E
Old woman old woman, oh you treat me so mean,
Am
G
F
E
You're the meanest old woman that I ever have seen,
Am
G
F E
Well I guess if you say so
Am
G
F
E
I'll have to pack my things and go
Am
G
F
E
Now Baby, listen Baby, don't you treat me this-a way
Am
G
F
E
'Cause I'll be back on my feet someday,
Am
G
F
E
Don't care if you do, cause it's understood,
Am G
F
E
You got no money, and you just ain't no good
Am
G
F E
Well I guess if you say so
Am
G
F
E
I'll have to pack my things and go
Solo to Hit The Road Jack
• This is totally in Am
• Easiest scale to use is the A minor
pentatonic.
• One problem is when on the F chord but
since it passes so fast it should work.
• Could also use the A Blues scale with the
same caveat.
Born To Lose
• One of my favorite feel songs
• Again a Country tune with a Blues Feel
Born To Lose
(G) Born to lose, I've (C) lived my life in (G) vain,
Ev'ry (D) dream has only brought me (G) pain,
All my life I've (C) always been so (G) blue,
Born to lose, and (D) now I'm losing (G) you,
Born to lose, it (C) seems so hard to (G) bear,
how I (D) long to always have you (G) near,
You've grown tired, and (C) now you say we're (G) through,
Born to lose, and (D) now I'm losing (G) you,
Born to lose, my (C) every hope is (G) gone,
It's so (D) hard to face that empty (G) dawn,
You were all the (C) happiness I (G) knew,
Born to lose and (D) now I'm losing (G) you,
There is no use to (C) dream of happi-(G)-ness,
All I (D) see is only lonely-(G)-ness,
All my life, I've (C) always been so (G) blue,
Born to lose, and (D) now I'm losing (G) you,
Tag:
Born to lose, and (D) now I'm losing (G) you.
Unchain My Heart
• This song is in a minor key.
• Again feel is everything.
• End timing is 1 2 (& 3) & 4 & | 1
Unchain My Heart
Am
Am
Unchain my heart, baby let me be
Am
Dm
Am
Unchain my heart 'cause you don't care about me
Dm
Am
You've got me sewed up like a pillow case
Dm
Am
but you let my love go to waste so
F7
E
Am
Unchain my heart, oh please, please set me free
Am
Unchain my
Am
Unchain my
Dm
Ev'ry time
Dm
Some fella
F7
Unchain my
Am
heart, baby let me go
Dm
Am
heart, 'cause you don't love me no more
Am
I call you on the phone
Am
tells me that you're not at home so
E
Am
heart, oh please, please set me free
Am
Am
Unchain my heart, let me go my way
Am
Dm
Am
Unchain my heart, you worry me night and day
Dm
Am
Why lead me through a life of misery
Dm
Am
when you don't care a bag of beans for me
F7
E
Am
So unchain my heart, oh please, please set me free
sax solo
Am
Am
I'm under your spell like a man in a trance
Dm
E7
But I know darn well, that I don't stand a chance so
Am
Am
Unchain my heart, let me go my way
Am
Dm
Am
Unchain my heart, you worry me night and day
Dm
Am
Why lead me through a life of misery
Dm
Am
when you don't care a bag of beans for me
F7
E
Am
So unchain my heart, oh please, please set me free
Georgia
• Not what most people think. Song is
about the State – where Ray was from.
• But it can be felt like a love song.
• Interesting progression and play with
major and minor.
• I will write the chord voicings on the board.
Georgia On My Mind
F
A7
Dm7
C7
Bb
Bdim
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
F
Adim
Gm7 C7
A7 D7 G7 C7
Just an old sweet song
keeps Georgia on my mind
F
A7
Dm7 C7
Bb
Bdim
Georgia, Georgia, a song of you
F
Adim
Gm7
C7
F
Bb F A7
Comes sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
Dm7
Gm7
Dm7
Bb
Other arms reach out to me
Dm7
Gm7
Dm7
Gm7
Other eyes smile tenderly
Dm
Bb
F
Ebdim
Dm7
F#dim
Gm7
Still in peaceful dreams I see
the road leads back to you
F
A7
Dm7 C7
Bb
Bdim
Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find
F
Adim
Gm
C7
F
Just and old sweet song
keeps Georgia on my mind
Bb
F
C7
Dm7
Gm7
Dm7
Bb
Other arms reach out to me
Dm7
Gm7
Dm7
Gm7
Other eyes smile tenderly
Dm
Bb
F
Ebdim
Dm7
F#dim
Gm7
Still in peaceful dreams I see
the road leads back to you
F
A7
Dm7
C7
Bb
Bdim
Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find
F
Adim Gm
C7
A7
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind
Gm7
C7
F
F
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind
F
F Eb Bb
On my mind
Repeat till end
D7
Eb
Bb
C7
C7
You Don’t Know Me
• Another country ballad that Ray turns into
more of an R & B song with the feel.
• Make sure that you accent beats 2 and 4
to give that backbeat feel to this piece.
• There are some substitutions that can be
put in to really spruce this up.
You Don’t Know Me
A
You give your hand to me
And then you say, "Hello."
D
And I can hardly speak,
My heart is beating so.
A
And anyone can tell
E
You think you know me well.
A
Well, you don't know me.
E7
(no you don't know me)
A
No you don't know the one
Who dreams of you at night;
D
And longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
A
Oh I'm just a friend.
E
That's all I've ever been.
A
Cause you don't know me.
A7
(no you don't know me)
D
I watched you walk away,
Beside the lucky guy
A
Oh, you'll never ever know
E
The one who loved you so.
A A7
Well, you don't know me
D
E
For I never knew the art of making
love,
D
E
Though my heart aches with love for
you.
D
A
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go
by.
E
A chance that you might love me
too.
E7
(love me too)
A
You give your hand to me,
And then you say, "Goodbye."
D
I watched you walk away,
D
E
Beside
A
the lucky guy
For I never knew the art of making
A
love,
Oh, you'll never ever know
D
E
A
E
Though my heart aches with love for The one who loved you so.
you.
A
D
A Well, you don't know me
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go E7
A
by.
(you don't love me, you don't know
E
me)
A
A chance that you might love me
too.
E7
(love me too)
A
You give your hand to me,
And then you say, "Goodbye."
A
A
A
Some substitutions that can spice this up a bit.
Explaination: A to D can
usually put an A7 in
between to make it a V7
of D then on D back to A
the Ebdim7 is used as a
passing chord to lead
back to A.
The F#m is the relative
minor of A so it works as
a substitute, then leads
easily to Bm (it is the V of
B). Bm is the II in A and
leads to the V. Those two
chords are fairly
interchangeable.
A
You give your hand to me
A7
And then you say, "Hello."
D
And I can hardly speak,
Eb dim7
My heart is beating so.
A
And anyone can tell
F#m
Bm
You think you know me well.
E
A D A
Well, you don't know me.
E7
(no you don't know me)