Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles

Nelson and Marsalis played together for the first time in 2007 at The Allen Room in Lincoln Center, which resulted in the critically acclaimed album Two Men with the Blues, released the next year.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/arts/music/11mars.html|title=Much Brass, a Bit of Twang and Plenty of Ray Charles |access-date=2011-08-06|date=2009-02-10|author=Chinen, Nate|work=The New York Times}} The album held the number one position in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart for four weeks.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2008-07-26/jazz-albums|title=Top Jazz Albums: Week of July 26, 2008|access-date=2011-05-17|date=2008-07-26|magazine=Billboard}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2008-08-02/jazz-albums|title=Top Jazz Albums: Week of August 2, 2008|access-date=2011-05-17|date=2008-08-02|magazine=Billboard}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2008-08-09/jazz-albums|title=Top Jazz Albums: Week of August 9, 2008|access-date=2011-05-17|date=2008-08-09|magazine=Billboard}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2008-08-16/jazz-albums|title=Top Jazz Albums: Week of August 16, 2008|access-date=2011-05-17|date=2008-08-16|magazine=Billboard}} Nelson and Marsalis joined again in 2009 along with Norah Jones for a series of two concerts, at the Rose Theater, on February 9 and February 10. The recordings were released on March 29, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.willienelson.com/release/all/here_we_go_again_celebrating_the_genius_of_ray_charles |title=Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles |publisher=WillieNelson.com |access-date=March 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530050441/http://www.willienelson.com/release/all/here_we_go_again_celebrating_the_genius_of_ray_charles |archive-date=May 30, 2011 }}

{{Music ratings

| title =

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| MC = (63/100){{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles |title=Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=June 6, 2011}}

| rev6 =Los Angeles Times

| rev6Score ={{Rating|3|4}}

| rev9 =Rolling Stone

| rev9Score ={{Rating|2.5|5}}

| rev4 =The Daily Telegraph

| rev4Score ={{Rating|4|5}}

| rev2 =The Austin Chronicle

| rev2Score ={{Rating|2|5}}

| rev7 =The New Zealand Herald

| rev7Score ={{Rating|3.5|5}}

| rev1 =AllMusic

| rev1Score ={{Rating|3.5|5}}

| rev8 =PopMatters

| rev8Score =(7/10)

| rev5 =The Jazz Line

| rev5Score ={{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|title=Review: Here We Go Again – Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles|url=http://thejazzline.com/news/2011/03/review-here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles/|work=The Jazz Line|date=20 March 2011 |publisher=Mersion Media}}

| rev3 =BBC Music

| rev3Score =(positive)

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The Los Angeles Times's music critic rated the release with three stars out of four, and wrote: "Ray Charles surely would have admired the inventive and lively jazz-drenched arrangements accompanying many of his standards, including "Hit the Road Jack," "Busted," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Unchain My Heart" and "Cryin' Time."{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/03/album-review-here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles-with-willie-nelson-wynton-marsal.html|title=Album review: 'Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles' with Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones|first=Randy|last=Lewis|date=March 29, 2011|access-date=June 12, 2011|work=Los Angeles Times}} Rolling Stone praised Nelson and Jones' duet on Buck Owens' "Crying Time", but criticized the abundance of solos between Nelson and Marsalis' band: "(Here We Go Again) feels like a missed opportunity. Nelson's nylon-stabbing guitar is too scarce here, giving way to Marsalis' jazz band, a slick cast that rotates solos exhaustively."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles-20110413 |title=Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis |magazine=Rolling Stone |publisher=Wenner Media LLC. |first=Patrick |last=Doyle |date=April 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605231902/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles-20110413 |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=live }} The Texas Monthly also criticized the arrangements: "applying Willie's offhand cool and Jones's trademark reserve to the genius's hits, particularly his blistering soul classics, makes about as much sense as asking Tony Bennett to cover the Butthole Surfers [...] Here We Go Again is full of arrangements that take the wrong fork in the road. The expert musicianship of Marsalis's working band overthinks and dulls down almost every tune."{{cite news|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2011-04-01/cdrev2|title=Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles|work=Texas Monthly|publisher=Emmis Publishing LP|date=April 2011|first=Jeff|last=McCord|access-date=May 8, 2011}}

The Daily Telegraph rated it with four stars out of five. Praising Nelson, Marsalis and Jones as well as the backing band, the critic stated "They have done Ray Charles proud".{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/worldfolkandjazz/8518045/Here-We-Go-Again-Celebrating-the-Genius-Of-Ray-Charles-CD-review.html|title=Here We Go Again – Celebrating the Genius Of Ray Charles, CD review|first=Martin|last=Chilton|date=May 17, 2011|access-date=June 12, 2011|work=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited}} Meanwhile, The Austin Chronicle rated the album with two stars out of five; critic Jay Trachtenberg wrote: "Despite boasting favorites from Charles repertoire including "Cryin' Time," "Busted," and "Hit the Road Jack," this summit never clicks, perhaps a result of the one-off nature of the project making it hard for the musical personalities to fully gel".{{cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2011-04-29/willie-nelson-and-wynton-marsalis-here-we-go-again-celebrating-the-genius-of-ray-charles/|title=Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis (Featuring Norah Jones) Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Blue Note/EMI)|first=Jay|last=Trachtenberg|date=April 29, 2011|access-date=June 12, 2011|work=Austin Chronicle|publisher=Austin Chronicle Corp}} The New Zealand Herald wrote: "While they may seem like a funny couple, with the deft precision and style of Marsalis seemingly at odds with Nelson's more unkempt delivery, it actually works".{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10717302|title=Album Review: Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones, Here We Go Again|first=Scott|last=Kara|work=New Zealand Herald|publisher=APN Holdings NZ Limited|date=April 5, 2011|access-date=June 12, 2011}}

AllMusic wrote: "With Charles' standards like "Hallelujah I Love Her So", "Cryin' Time", "Hit the Road Jack", "Busted", "Makin' Whoopie", and his iconic signature hit, "What'd I Say" all sounding comfortable and fresh. The only thing missing is Ray Charles himself, who undoubtedly would have had no trouble fitting into these shows. Radio now splits everything into little niches. That isn't what Charles was about. He saw music as convergence. This fine concert album plays in that same spirit".{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r2139434|tab=review |first=Steve |last=Leggett|access-date=June 6, 2011}}

File:Willie Nelson Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones (cropped).JPG]]

PopMatters delivered a mixed review, praising the team of Nelson, Marsalis and Jones, but criticizing the performance of the songs, indicating that they consisted only of an all-star lineup that did not apply a new perspective to Charles' recordings: "the whole never really rises above the sum of its parts, and no one ever tries to teach us something new about these tunes. [...] Not that hearing these voices on great tunes doesn't thrill. It does. [...] What's missing is some element of risk or sacrifice".{{cite news|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/138618-willie-nelson-and-wynton-marsalis-featuring-norah-jones-here-we-go-a/|title=Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones: Here We Go Again|work=PopMatters|publisher=PopMatters Media, Inc.|first=Will|last=Layman|date=April 1, 2011|access-date=May 8, 2011}}

BBC Music wrote a mixed review, remarking that

"Marsalis and company don't exactly hit the bull's-eye every time on this recording of the event. And what's most apparent, sadly, is that Nelson's vocal deficiencies grow more obvious every year. Some might argue that his weathered voice has gained in character what it has lost in strength and range, but my ears tell me otherwise [...] On the plus side, the Marsalis band compensates quite adequately for occasional lacklustre vocals, navigating the various nooks and crannies of Charles' eclectic songbook with just the right combination of jazz and pop smarts. [...] Thanks largely to the instrumental work, there’s a satisfying amount of entertainment value on this release – even if major revelations are not forthcoming."

{{Track listing

| title1 = Hallelujah I Love Her So

| writer1 = Ray Charles

| length1 = 4:54

| title2 = Come Rain or Come Shine

| note2 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer2 = Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer

| length2 = 3:52

| title3 = Unchain My Heart

| writer3 = Teddy Powell, Bobby Sharp

| length3 = 5:35

| title4 = Cryin' Time

| note4 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer4 = Buck Owens

| length4 = 4:32

| title5 = Losing Hand

| writer5 = Charles Calhoun

| length5 = 5:16

| title6 = Hit the Road Jack

| note6 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer6 = Percy Mayfield

| length6 = 7:45

| title7 = I'm Moving On

| writer7 = Hank Snow

| length7 = 5:44

| title8 = Busted

| writer8 = Harlan Howard

| length8 = 3:52

| title9 = Here We Go Again

| note9 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer9 = Don Lanier, Red Steagall

| length9 = 5:10

| title10 = Makin' Whoopee

| note10 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer10 = Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson

| length10 = 4:54

| title11 = I Love You So Much It Hurts

| writer11 = Floyd Tillman

| length11 = 2:52

| title12 = What'd I Say

| note12 = featuring Norah Jones

| writer12 = Ray Charles

| length12 = 6:11

}}

A Barnes & Noble-exclusive edition has three bonus tracks: "You Don't Know Me" (4:45), "You Are My Sunshine" (6:26), and "That's All" (6:04).

Musicians

• Willie Nelson – guitar (1–9, 12), vocals (1, 3–9, 11, 12)
• Wynton Marsalis – trumpet, arranger, vocals (6, 8, 12)
• Norah Jones – vocals (2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12)
• Dan Nimmer – piano
• Carlos Henríquez – bass
• Walter Blanding – tenor saxophone, vocals (6)
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica
• Ali Jackson – drums, percussion{{cite AV media notes| title = Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles| title-link =Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles| others =Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones| year =2011| page =4| type = booklet| publisher = Blue Note Records| id = 509990 96388 2 2| location = New York City}}
• Arrangements by Sherman Irby (1), Richard DeRosa (2, 10), Victor Goines (3, 4), Jackson (5), Vincent Gardner (6), Marsalis (7, 11), Christopher Crenshaw (8) and Andy Farber (9, 12){{cite AV media notes| title = Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles| title-link =Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles| others =Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones| year =2011| pages = 2–3 | type = booklet| publisher = Blue Note Records| id = 509990 96388 2 2| location = New York City}}
• Music supervised by Christianna English and Kay Niewood
• Music copyists were Geoff Burke, Jonathan Kelly and Kate Sain

Production

• Jeff Jones – producer, engineer (mixing, mastering)
• Jazz at Lincoln Center – producer
• Mark Rothbaum – executive producer
• Saundra Palmer-Grassi – engineer (recording)
• Rob Macomber – engineer (recording)
• Gordon H. Lee – creative direction
• Randall Leddy – art direction, design
• Darren Booth – typography

{{Reflist}}

{{Ray Charles}}

{{Willie Nelson|collapsed}}

{{Wynton Marsalis}}

{{Norah Jones}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2011 live albums

Category:Blue Note Records live albums

Category:Norah Jones live albums

Category:Ray Charles tribute albums

Category:Willie Nelson live albums

Category:Wynton Marsalis live albums

Category:2011 collaborative albums