“Alexander’s Ragtime Band”

Ray Charles’ version of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, released on his 1959 LP The Genius Of Ray Charles, is three minutes of tight, wound-up exhilaration – big and brassy and bursting with breathless energy. Imagine if the band members had all agreed to hold their breath for the duration; the challenge of getting through the song without breathing would give their playing an ever-increasing dose of urgency – that would resemble what’s heard on this take.

“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is one of the oldest songs Ray Charles ever recorded, dating to 1911. It was the first big hit for its composer, the legendary Irving Berlin, and had by 1959 been tackled by many artists, including Bing Crosby, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and even as a country tune by Bob Wills. The range of artists who were drawn to the song is a testament to its appeal and to its malleability. (Check out Ethel Merman’s 1979 disco version to hear arguably the strangest version of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”.)

As for Ray Charles, he opts for a big fat showbizzy take on “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, with the brass band that featured throughout the LP’s first side given endless opportunities to lob fusillades of effusive notes at the listener over and between Ray’s intensely growled lines. Marcus Belgrave adds a hip, wild trumpet solo, and the Raelets get to shout out some nice backing vocals on the “come on and hear” sections. Ralph Burns provided the arrangement.

With the Genius Of Ray Charles LP, Ray was clearly and decisively expanding his musical parameters – he had already released instrumental jazz music that was completely unrelated to his R&B hits, but the new styles he showed throughout this LP were something altogether new and unexpected. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is an excellent choice, because not only is it an ancient American standard but the lyrics center around musical crossover and experiments in genre:

And if you wanna hear that “Swanee River” played in a ragtime
Come on and hear Alexander’s Ragtime Band!

Not only was the titular Alexander offering the venerable “Swanee River” in a jarring and unexpected style, but Ray Charles himself had done that very thing on his 1957 A-side “Swanee River Rock”. Neat synchronicity between old Irving Berlin and Ray’s then-recent career.

“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is, incidentally, the only song on this LP to feature bongos, which are detectable at times when the brass quiets down for a measure or two.

All in all, this performance shows Ray and his band at their merriest, and loudest. It’s fun and simple and really impossible not to like.

Listen to “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”

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