Two tribute albums are dropping this month to honor two of the recording industry’s greatest voices: Ray Charles and Luther Vandross. J-Records, Luther’s former label home, dropped So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross Sept. 20. Performing Luther’s jams are: Patti LaBelle, Usher, Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige. To celebrate what would have been Ray’s 75th birthday, Rhino is releasing two CDs Friday, Sept. 23. One is Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959). The other is a duets CD titled Genius and Friends. On the duets album, Ray sings with Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Chris Isaak, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross, George Michael and Angie Stone. He also sings with John Legend, Italian pop star Laura Pausini and Idina Menzel, star of the Broadway play Wicked.
Also on the joint are Alicia Keys’ performance of “America the Beautiful” (a tune associated with Ray) at last year’s Super Bowl halftime show and Ray singing “Busted” with his boy Willie Nelson. Check them out.
Speaking of Willie, he’s cool. None other than ESL homeboy legend Miles Davis once said he learned some aspects of phrasing from the way Willie sings. And Willie himself just busted a reggae album, Countryman, that’s for real. Check it.