Chords for Oscar Peterson on the loss of Ray Charles: CBC Archives | CBC
Tempo:
76 bpm
Chords used:
F
D
E
Eb
Gbm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
I didn't know Ray at the very beginning that well.
We didn't meet for quite a few years, and I used to go at times to the Apollo to hear
him, you know, [D] and admired him.
I think he brought an honesty to modern music.
There were no frills.
What you see and heard was what you got, and I admired him [N] for that.
What do you think, how do you think history will remember Ray Charles?
[Gbm] I would have to say that hopefully history will remember him as being a man that brought
an honesty to the blues world and the soul-ville type music as they talk about it today.
Because what they're doing today is not what he did.
It's nothing to do with that.
He was something very special.
He was the equivalent to me of someone [E] like in classical music, Horowitz, who led the
way, and in jazz, in Ellington, who [Gb] led the way in big bands.
And I had great respect for him.
I still do.
Can you give me an idea [Eb] where [Db] the musical world will be left without him?
Vacant.
That's the best I can say.
It's going to be very, very vacant.
It's going to be a void.
Because Ray Charles was such a special entity.
He was not a singer amongst a bunch of other singers.
He was Ray Charles.
And whenever you said that, people knew what they were going to hear.
They knew what to expect.
How did he influence you?
Hopefully he made me more aware of the simplicity of the blues and that feeling.
And I'm looked on or charged, if you will, with being a very technical player.
And he brought that same kind of honesty to my playing.
And I would always relate to things that he did and try and instill that same feeling
into my playing.
When [F] you talk about honesty in his music, [Ab] had anybody done anything like that before him?
Oh, there were [Eb] many.
When I say many, there were a few blues singers that we would never remember today that started
and I'm sure influenced Ray.
And it's a thing.
It's like an inheritance.
And it's handed down from generation to generation.
It's the same thing in the jazz world.
My influence was Art Tatum, still is, and Duke Ellington.
And hopefully over the years, if I measure up, I'll be an influence to some of the other young players.
Who do you [F] think was influenced by Ray Charles?
Who do you see Ray Charles in?
[F] It's hard to miss him.
I think any time a singer, male or female, starts singing the blues, I think they're
immediately drawn into his world.
Ella had that same property.
She loved Ray Charles.
And at times she would go into his, as we [Eb] say, into his bag.
I was, when I read about Ray Charles before, critics say that he gave more than he got
in a lot of ways.
I mean, so many people took influence from his music and [F] sold millions of records with
his influence in mind.
[N] What do you think of that?
I think it's true.
I think he influenced an awful lot of, certainly, vocalists and instrumentalists, too, because
there are times when the way he would phrase various instrumentalists would try and attain
that same kind of phrasing, except there were no lyrics.
They were soloists.
[F] What about his challenges?
I mean, his physical limitations.
[D] He was blind and he wasn't [D] well for some of his life.
[F] Do you think, were there elements of that in his music?
I never felt it.
I had him on the show years ago that I did with the CBC, and I still have it.
It's one of my treasures.
And he had, as much as he loved to sing, he had a great love of this instrument.
We did a duet together, and he just, he waited for that all through the rehearsals.
He couldn't wait.
He kept saying, oh, it's me and you, right?
We're going to do this thing together.
I said, yeah, but be nice.
Was he nice in your experiences with him?
Oh, yeah, he always [B] was.
I never entertained the thought that I could play like Ray Charles, because I think he was special.
He used to say, I [F] mean, don't pull any of that stuff that you pull on other guys.
Let's just play something together.
I said, yeah.
And we did.
What do you think his single greatest accomplishment, contribution?
Well, I think he brought a faction of music, his, to television, which was void of that
kind of thing for years.
And as [E] a result, some of the singers took up that mantle and tried to carry on.
And I think that's [Ebm] what he's left the musical world with.
Is there anything [D] you'd like to say [E] other than what you've said?
Well
I guess you're cheating a bit, aren't you?
I can only say that I hope he's happy where he is.
I know he is.
I know he's singing.
And I just hope his influence will continue
We didn't meet for quite a few years, and I used to go at times to the Apollo to hear
him, you know, [D] and admired him.
I think he brought an honesty to modern music.
There were no frills.
What you see and heard was what you got, and I admired him [N] for that.
What do you think, how do you think history will remember Ray Charles?
[Gbm] I would have to say that hopefully history will remember him as being a man that brought
an honesty to the blues world and the soul-ville type music as they talk about it today.
Because what they're doing today is not what he did.
It's nothing to do with that.
He was something very special.
He was the equivalent to me of someone [E] like in classical music, Horowitz, who led the
way, and in jazz, in Ellington, who [Gb] led the way in big bands.
And I had great respect for him.
I still do.
Can you give me an idea [Eb] where [Db] the musical world will be left without him?
Vacant.
That's the best I can say.
It's going to be very, very vacant.
It's going to be a void.
Because Ray Charles was such a special entity.
He was not a singer amongst a bunch of other singers.
He was Ray Charles.
And whenever you said that, people knew what they were going to hear.
They knew what to expect.
How did he influence you?
Hopefully he made me more aware of the simplicity of the blues and that feeling.
And I'm looked on or charged, if you will, with being a very technical player.
And he brought that same kind of honesty to my playing.
And I would always relate to things that he did and try and instill that same feeling
into my playing.
When [F] you talk about honesty in his music, [Ab] had anybody done anything like that before him?
Oh, there were [Eb] many.
When I say many, there were a few blues singers that we would never remember today that started
and I'm sure influenced Ray.
And it's a thing.
It's like an inheritance.
And it's handed down from generation to generation.
It's the same thing in the jazz world.
My influence was Art Tatum, still is, and Duke Ellington.
And hopefully over the years, if I measure up, I'll be an influence to some of the other young players.
Who do you [F] think was influenced by Ray Charles?
Who do you see Ray Charles in?
[F] It's hard to miss him.
I think any time a singer, male or female, starts singing the blues, I think they're
immediately drawn into his world.
Ella had that same property.
She loved Ray Charles.
And at times she would go into his, as we [Eb] say, into his bag.
I was, when I read about Ray Charles before, critics say that he gave more than he got
in a lot of ways.
I mean, so many people took influence from his music and [F] sold millions of records with
his influence in mind.
[N] What do you think of that?
I think it's true.
I think he influenced an awful lot of, certainly, vocalists and instrumentalists, too, because
there are times when the way he would phrase various instrumentalists would try and attain
that same kind of phrasing, except there were no lyrics.
They were soloists.
[F] What about his challenges?
I mean, his physical limitations.
[D] He was blind and he wasn't [D] well for some of his life.
[F] Do you think, were there elements of that in his music?
I never felt it.
I had him on the show years ago that I did with the CBC, and I still have it.
It's one of my treasures.
And he had, as much as he loved to sing, he had a great love of this instrument.
We did a duet together, and he just, he waited for that all through the rehearsals.
He couldn't wait.
He kept saying, oh, it's me and you, right?
We're going to do this thing together.
I said, yeah, but be nice.
Was he nice in your experiences with him?
Oh, yeah, he always [B] was.
I never entertained the thought that I could play like Ray Charles, because I think he was special.
He used to say, I [F] mean, don't pull any of that stuff that you pull on other guys.
Let's just play something together.
I said, yeah.
And we did.
What do you think his single greatest accomplishment, contribution?
Well, I think he brought a faction of music, his, to television, which was void of that
kind of thing for years.
And as [E] a result, some of the singers took up that mantle and tried to carry on.
And I think that's [Ebm] what he's left the musical world with.
Is there anything [D] you'd like to say [E] other than what you've said?
Well
I guess you're cheating a bit, aren't you?
I can only say that I hope he's happy where he is.
I know he is.
I know he's singing.
And I just hope his influence will continue
Key:
F
D
E
Eb
Gbm
F
D
E
I didn't know Ray at the very beginning that well.
We didn't meet for quite a few years, and I used to go at times to the Apollo to hear
him, you know, [D] and admired him.
I think he brought an honesty to modern music.
There were no frills.
What you see and heard was what you got, and I admired him [N] for that.
_ What do you think, how do you think history will remember Ray Charles? _ _ _
[Gbm] I would have to say that hopefully history will remember him as being a man that brought
an honesty to the blues world and the soul-ville type music as they talk about it today.
Because what they're doing today is not what he did.
It's nothing to do with that.
He was something very special.
He was the equivalent to me of someone [E] like in classical music, Horowitz, who led the
way, and in jazz, in Ellington, who [Gb] led the way in big bands.
And I had great respect for him.
I still do.
_ Can you give me an idea _ [Eb] where [Db] the musical world will be left without him?
Vacant.
That's the best I can say.
It's going to be very, very vacant.
It's going to be a void.
Because Ray Charles was such a special entity.
He was not a singer amongst a bunch of other singers.
He was Ray Charles.
And whenever you said that, people knew what they were going to hear.
They knew what to expect.
How did he influence you?
_ Hopefully he made me more aware of the simplicity of the blues and that feeling.
And I'm looked on or charged, if you will, with being a very technical player.
And he brought that same kind of honesty to my playing.
And I would always relate to things that he did and try and instill that same feeling
into my playing.
_ When [F] you talk about honesty in his music, [Ab] had anybody done anything like that before him?
Oh, there were [Eb] many.
When I say many, there were a few blues singers that we would never remember today that started
and I'm sure influenced Ray.
And it's a thing.
It's like an inheritance.
And it's handed down from generation to generation.
It's the same thing in the jazz world. _
My influence was Art Tatum, still is, and Duke Ellington.
And hopefully over the years, if I measure up, I'll be an influence to some of the other young players.
Who do you [F] think was influenced by Ray Charles?
Who do you see Ray Charles in?
[F] It's hard to miss him.
I think any time a singer, male or female, starts singing the blues, I think they're
immediately _ drawn into his world.
Ella had that same property.
She loved Ray Charles.
And at times she would go into his, as we [Eb] say, into his bag.
_ _ I was, when I read about Ray Charles before, critics say that he gave more than he got
in a lot of ways.
I mean, so many people took influence from his music and [F] sold millions of records with
his influence in mind.
[N] What do you think of that?
I think it's true.
I think he _ influenced an awful lot of, certainly, vocalists and instrumentalists, too, because
there are times when the way he would phrase various instrumentalists would try and attain
that same kind of phrasing, except there were no lyrics.
They were soloists.
_ [F] What about his challenges?
I mean, his physical limitations.
[D] He was blind and he wasn't [D] well for some of his life.
_ _ [F] Do you think, were there elements of that in his music?
I never felt it.
I had him on the show years ago that I did with the CBC, and I still have it.
It's one of my treasures.
_ And he had, as much as he loved to sing, he had a great love of this instrument.
We did a duet together, and he just, he waited for that all through the rehearsals.
He couldn't wait.
He kept saying, oh, it's me and you, right?
We're going to do this thing together.
I said, yeah, but be nice.
_ _ Was he nice in your experiences with him?
Oh, yeah, he always [B] was.
I never entertained the thought that I could play like Ray Charles, because I think he was special.
He used to say, I [F] mean, don't pull any of that stuff that you pull on other guys.
Let's just play something together.
I said, yeah.
And we did.
What do you think his single greatest accomplishment, _ _ contribution?
Well, I think he brought _ a faction of music, his, to television, _ which was void of that
kind of thing for years.
And as [E] a result, some of the singers took up that mantle and tried to carry on.
And I think that's [Ebm] what he's left the musical world with.
Is there anything [D] you'd like to say [E] other than what you've said?
_ Well_
I guess you're cheating a bit, aren't you?
_ I can only say that I hope he's happy where he is.
I know he is.
I know he's singing.
_ And I just hope his influence will continue
We didn't meet for quite a few years, and I used to go at times to the Apollo to hear
him, you know, [D] and admired him.
I think he brought an honesty to modern music.
There were no frills.
What you see and heard was what you got, and I admired him [N] for that.
_ What do you think, how do you think history will remember Ray Charles? _ _ _
[Gbm] I would have to say that hopefully history will remember him as being a man that brought
an honesty to the blues world and the soul-ville type music as they talk about it today.
Because what they're doing today is not what he did.
It's nothing to do with that.
He was something very special.
He was the equivalent to me of someone [E] like in classical music, Horowitz, who led the
way, and in jazz, in Ellington, who [Gb] led the way in big bands.
And I had great respect for him.
I still do.
_ Can you give me an idea _ [Eb] where [Db] the musical world will be left without him?
Vacant.
That's the best I can say.
It's going to be very, very vacant.
It's going to be a void.
Because Ray Charles was such a special entity.
He was not a singer amongst a bunch of other singers.
He was Ray Charles.
And whenever you said that, people knew what they were going to hear.
They knew what to expect.
How did he influence you?
_ Hopefully he made me more aware of the simplicity of the blues and that feeling.
And I'm looked on or charged, if you will, with being a very technical player.
And he brought that same kind of honesty to my playing.
And I would always relate to things that he did and try and instill that same feeling
into my playing.
_ When [F] you talk about honesty in his music, [Ab] had anybody done anything like that before him?
Oh, there were [Eb] many.
When I say many, there were a few blues singers that we would never remember today that started
and I'm sure influenced Ray.
And it's a thing.
It's like an inheritance.
And it's handed down from generation to generation.
It's the same thing in the jazz world. _
My influence was Art Tatum, still is, and Duke Ellington.
And hopefully over the years, if I measure up, I'll be an influence to some of the other young players.
Who do you [F] think was influenced by Ray Charles?
Who do you see Ray Charles in?
[F] It's hard to miss him.
I think any time a singer, male or female, starts singing the blues, I think they're
immediately _ drawn into his world.
Ella had that same property.
She loved Ray Charles.
And at times she would go into his, as we [Eb] say, into his bag.
_ _ I was, when I read about Ray Charles before, critics say that he gave more than he got
in a lot of ways.
I mean, so many people took influence from his music and [F] sold millions of records with
his influence in mind.
[N] What do you think of that?
I think it's true.
I think he _ influenced an awful lot of, certainly, vocalists and instrumentalists, too, because
there are times when the way he would phrase various instrumentalists would try and attain
that same kind of phrasing, except there were no lyrics.
They were soloists.
_ [F] What about his challenges?
I mean, his physical limitations.
[D] He was blind and he wasn't [D] well for some of his life.
_ _ [F] Do you think, were there elements of that in his music?
I never felt it.
I had him on the show years ago that I did with the CBC, and I still have it.
It's one of my treasures.
_ And he had, as much as he loved to sing, he had a great love of this instrument.
We did a duet together, and he just, he waited for that all through the rehearsals.
He couldn't wait.
He kept saying, oh, it's me and you, right?
We're going to do this thing together.
I said, yeah, but be nice.
_ _ Was he nice in your experiences with him?
Oh, yeah, he always [B] was.
I never entertained the thought that I could play like Ray Charles, because I think he was special.
He used to say, I [F] mean, don't pull any of that stuff that you pull on other guys.
Let's just play something together.
I said, yeah.
And we did.
What do you think his single greatest accomplishment, _ _ contribution?
Well, I think he brought _ a faction of music, his, to television, _ which was void of that
kind of thing for years.
And as [E] a result, some of the singers took up that mantle and tried to carry on.
And I think that's [Ebm] what he's left the musical world with.
Is there anything [D] you'd like to say [E] other than what you've said?
_ Well_
I guess you're cheating a bit, aren't you?
_ I can only say that I hope he's happy where he is.
I know he is.
I know he's singing.
_ And I just hope his influence will continue