Ray Charles – The Early Years 1947-51 – Late In The Evening

Track Listing:
1. Honey, Honey – 2:53   2. What Have I Done – 2:32   3. You'll Always Miss The Water – 2:48   4. She's On The Ball – 2:30   5. How Long – 2:31   6. Someday – 3:02   7. Ain't That Fine – 2:15   8. Don't Put All Your Dreams In Your Basket – 2:49   9. Kissa Me Baby – 2:45   10. Guitar Blues – 2:32   11. Walkin' And Talkin' – 3:02   12. I'm Wonderin' And Wonderin' – 3:14   13. Lonely Boy – 2:45   14. Ray’s Blues – 1:38   15. Late In The Evening – 3:00   16. I'll Do Anything But Work – 2:25

Reviews:

1. AllMusic - Stephen Cook
This fine chronicle of Charles' early years (1947-1951) finds the future soul originator waxing jazzy and urbane on 19 cuts that show the early influence of both Nat "King" Cole and Charles Brown. Recently arrived from the South, Charles settled in Seattle during most of the stretch covered here, working in various bands and recording for the Swingtime/Downbeat label. Beyond being just some sort of carbon copy of Cole and Brown, Charles shows a deft hand here with the pop end of the after-hours spectrum, while also peppering some of the performances with the gospel verve that would someday be his calling card. A worthwhile disc for dedicated Ray Charles fans and followers of R&B history.