Ray Charles Tribute Concert

Ray Charles Tribute Concert

For Tribute Concert tickets, click here.

SPECIAL DISCOUNTED COLUMBIA COLLEGE RATES FOR TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE: Students may purchase tickets for $5, faculty, staff, and alumni for $15. Please call 312.369.6600.

Center for Black Music Research
Columbia College Chicago

New Black Music Repertory Ensemble
T. S. Galloway, Conductor

Featuring:
Sean Harris
Bobbi Wilsyn
Sue Conway
Maggie Brown Special Guest Artists:
Marcus Belgrave
Dr. Mable John

Saturday, March 7, 2009
7:30 p.m.
Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Harold Washington Library Center
400 South State Street
Attendees of after-hour events must enter through the Plymouth Court entrance located on the west side of the building

Program

Welcome and IntroductionsMonica Hairston, Executive Director, CBMR

Event sponsors:
Jerry D. Rothman, Legal Counsel for The Ray Charles Foundation
Tony Gumina, President, Ray Charles Marketing Group

America the BeautifulText (1895; rev. 1904 and 1915) by Katherine Lee Bates
Music “Materna” (1882) by Samuel Augustus Ward
Music/text compilation by Clarence Barbour
arr. Quincy Jones

Music recorded in 1972. Video filmed in 2001. This performance was used only once, on Sunday, September 11, 2005, when it was shown on big screens throughout Major League Baseball and National Football League stadiums in commemoration of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Bad WaterJimmy Holiday
arr. Ray Charles

Special Guest Artist, Dr. Mable John
Bobbi Wilsyn, Sue Conway, and Maggie Brown

Confession Blues (recorded 1949)Ray Charles

Sean Harris

I've Got a Woman (recorded 1954)Ray Charles/Renald Richard

Sean Harris

Hallelujah I Love Her So (recorded 1955)Ray Charles

Sue Conway

Let the Good Times Roll (recorded 1959)Sam Theard/Fleecie Moore
arr. Quincy Jones

Sean Harris

One Mint Julep (recorded 1960)Rudolph Toombs
arr. Quincy Jones

Special Guest Artist, Marcus Belgrave, trumpet

Georgia on My MindHoagy Carmichael/Stuart Gorrell
arr. Ray Charles/David Newman

Film of 1965 performance featuring David “Fathead” Newman, flute

Unchain My Heart (recorded 1961)Robert Sharp Jr./Teddy Powell
arr. Ray Charles

Sean Harris
Bobbi Wilsyn, Sue Conway, and Maggie Brown

Hit the Road Jack (recorded 1961)Percy Mayfield
arr. Ray Charles

Sean Harris and Maggie Brown
Bobbi Wilsyn and Sue Conway

I Can’t Stop Loving You (recorded 1962)Don Gibson
arr. Marty Paich

Bobbi Wilsyn
Members of the Columbia College Gospel Choir

Here We Go Again (recorded 1967)Russell Steagall/Donnie Lanier
arr. Sid Feller

Bobbi Wilsyn and Brandon McKenzie
Sue Conway and Maggie Brown

Re-recorded with Norah Jones in 2003, using the original arrangement.

Ring of FireMerle Kilgore/June Carter

Video of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash (taped 1970)

Heaven Help Us All (recorded with Gladys Knight, 2003)Ron Miller
arr. Randy Waldman/David Blumberg/Clarence McDonald

Sue Conway
Members of the Columbia College Gospel Choir

Originally recorded in 1972, arranged by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller, and Mike Post.

Mess Around (recorded 1953)Ahmet Ertegün
arr. Ray Charles

Sean Harris

Let It Be (video recorded 1990)John Lennon/Paul McCartney

What’d I Say (recorded 1959)Ray Charles

Sean Harris and Maggie Brown
Bobbi Wilsyn and Sue Conway

All charts were recreated by T. S. Galloway, based on Ray Charles recordings, except Burgess Gardner for “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and “Mess Around,” and Doug Scharf for “Let the Good Times Roll.”

Content of the program narrative designed and written by Tony Gumina.