Listen/Buy: Ringtones
Buy the album at Rhino.com
Charles spent the fifties working hard to pioneer his own sound, fusing jazz, gospel and the blues into a new soul style that changed American music. But here he relaxes: Genius is easy-swinging pop, featuring big-band accompaniment. When he sings "Am I Blue?" the only answer is "Hell, yeah!"
Total album sales: Under 500,000
Peak chart position: 17