Milt Jackson and Ray Charles - Soul Brothers

140-gram mono pressing

Milt Jackson and Ray Charles join for genius collaboration

"Charles's fine playing makes one wonder why he so rarely picked up the horn in later years. Billy Mitchell contributes some fine tenor solos on this boppish/blues material and guitarist Skeeter Best, bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Connie Kay offer stellar support." — AllMusic 4.5/5 stars

Released in 1958, Soul Brothers was Ray Charles' third album and jazz vibraphonist Milton Jackson's eleventh. Their collaboration was simply a match made in heaven. Charles remarked that "Milt Jackson's got soul" when he heard Tom Dowd mastering a Modern Jazz Quartet album. And Jackson told Nesuhi Ertegun, who went on to produce Soul Brothers, that he wanted "to play blues with Ray."

The album offers a rare opportunity to hear Jackson step out from behind his familiar vibraphones to play piano, and Charles, in addition to manning the 88s, gets to blow on the alto saxophone for two numbers, and shouldn't be missed. With stellar support, the two headliners treat this affair as a backroom woodshedding session.

Side A

1. Soul Brothers

2. How Long Blues

Side B

1. Cosmic Ray

2. Blue Funk

3. Bags' Guitar Blues - By Ray Charles & Milt Jackson

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