Autumn Nocturne - The Ray Charles Singers

Autumn In New York

Autumn Nocturne
The Ray Charles Singers
With Orchestra Accompaniment
MGM Records E3145
1955

Superbly crafted group vocal set.

From the back cover:

Here are 13 songs performed by a group of 23 vocalists in variously selected combinations of male voices, female voices and the two together. Here are songs in moods and colors as variegated as autumn itself. Here are singers whose voices are blended to give the warmth of autumn. Here is a vocal group singing as one – a group with a single personality.

Each selection offers the listener a new experience in vocal music. Listen, for example, to the voice of Katie Carnes as it sets the mood for "Autumn Nocturne" and to Artie Malvin's solo in the same song. Listen to choral director Ray Charles himself handle the vocal on "Faded Sumer Love" and "Tis Autumn." Listen, too, to both Ray Charles and Mike Stewart on "September Song," performed here by 12 male voices. Listen to the same male chorus as it delivers "Indian Summer" with the superb alto flute support of Bernie Kaufman.

For added variety, take the naivete of a song like "When the Leaves Bid the Trees Goodbye," done here by a choir of 10 female voices. For spice, listen to the poignant Katie Carnes voice and the ivory-tinkling piano of Bernie Leighton on "Autumn In New York." And for a change in the geographical scene as well as in the vocal vista, there's "Autumn In Rome."

In "The Things We Did Last Summer," lend an ear to the vocal by Artie Malvin and the caroling of Fran Carroll, whose voice has been described as having the feeling of "the sky after it has been washed by a late summer rain." On "Autumn Leaves" the female voices are used to describe the scenery, while George Barnes' guitar sparkles in "Shine On Harvest Moon." And so, through the entire group of 13 songs, there is something to listen for as well as so much to listen to.

For the statistical-minded listener it might be noted that on seven selections the Ray Charles choir consisted of four female and eight male voices. On two selections a dozen men sang the praises of love and autumn: On three other songs only 10 female voices were used. And on a single tune, Ray Charles combined the voices of six women and four men. And always supplying the tasteful instrumental accompaniment were such as the Leighton piano, the Barnes guitar, the Kaufman reeds and the accordion of Nick Perito.

It also needs to be pointed out that Ray Charles, the leader of the group, is also a singer – and this, believe it or not, is unusual in the professional music world. Choosing the singers for his group was a true labor of love for Ray Charles. In addition to those already named, the vocalists used herein include Miriam Workman, Lois Winter, Lillian Clark, Rae Whitney, Elise Bretton, Marilyn Palmer, Peggy Powers, Barbara Nelson, Jerry Duane, Steve Stick, Alan Sokoloff, Ed Lindstrom, Murray Kane, Gene Lowell, Clyde Seckler, Gene Stick, Bob Spiro and Rudy Williams.

From Billboard - March 12, 1955: Cleric Frowns On Cheesecake The clergy here take a rather dim view of recent rash of cheesecake cover art in the album field,. At any rate, Brother Andrew Corsini frowns on the trend.

In a letter to M-G-M Records this month, Brother Corsini congratulates the label on its "truly beautiful cover" for the Ray Charles Singers' album "The Autumn Nocturne." "I sincerely hope there are many more like it in the future," he wrote. "You can well understand my dislike for the seemingly unlimited number of half-dressed females that seem to be 'standard equipment' on record covers these days."

Autumn Nocturne
Early Autumn
A Faded Summer Love
Autumn In Rome
Indian Summer
When The Leaves Bid The Trees Goodbye
The Things We Did Last Summer
'Tis Autumn
Autumn Leaves
Shine On Harvest Moon
September Song
September In The Rain
Autumn In New York