RAY CHARLES & THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA TECHNOLOGICALLY PAIRED

Ray Sings,Basie Swings is the title of an upcoming album which pairs Ray Charles and the current line-up of the Count Basie Orchestra – however – Charles never actually recorded with the orchestra. The compilation combines the vocals of Ray Charles, and through modern technology, pairs him up with the Count Basie Orchestra. The project is a collaborative effort involving Concord Records and Starbucks Hear Music, and it will hit coffeehouses in the US and Canada beginning Oct. 3. The project began with a discovery by Concord head of A&R John Burk, who dusted off a recording from the vaults simply titled, "Charles/Basie". The compilation is actually a mash-up of sorts, as Charles never did perform with the Basie Orchestra on the lost recording. "I was disappointed that Ray wasn’t performing with the Basie band," said Burk. "But I thought that we could re-record the music with the current Basie Orchestra. These tapes were just waiting for technology to catch up so we can help Ray do what he always did so naturally – make magic happen," said Burke.