I REMEMBER RAY

At just 22, Lester wrote a respectful reverie on Ray Charles’ repertoire, recalling how stirred he was hearing his hits “What’d I Say” and “I Got a Woman” as a teenager—and how he still gets chills. He’s rocked and awed with each piercing wail, whoop, and growl, praising the sizzling keyboards and impeccable arrangements, from “boiling blues” and groundbreaking R&B to gospel, swing, and jazz—Ray defined soul.

He waxes rhapsodic in this survey of dozens of recordings, noting milestone albums from the Atlantic catalog, simply stating: “Get it!” This testimony speaks to Lester’s range of musical tastes, flaunting his far-reaching knowledge of Ray’s prolific repertoire. This affecting deep dive goes beyond a discography of a pioneering icon, known as the “Genius.” Lester’s compelling descriptions emotionally capture the tenderness, radiance, and fierce dynamism of Ray’s music, with lyrics that make the songs vault off the page. Here Lester is unexpectedly heartfelt and sincere, yet with flashes of signature Bangsesque flourishes, sneering at Ray’s forays into country tunes and standards while hailing his ability to steer clear of the “swamp of schmaltz.” He addresses his influence on Cocker, Morrison, Redding, and countless others, praising his contributions as important and transcendent, even crediting Ray for creating everything that would happen in popular music. Perhaps he relates intimately with Ray’s distinctive style, Olympian talents, and genre-spanning mastery. Lester was under his spell and moved, taking the cue to emulate the legend, inspired to capture all the intensity and dynamism. It’s as if he’s writing of his aspirations for his own future canon.