Ray Charles - The Singles Collection 1949-62Ray Charles was one of the most iconic and influential artists in the annals of pop as a singer, songwriter and pianist, and while he is considered one of the godfathers and great innovators of soul music, his work transcended the worlds of jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, rock 'n' roll and country and western as well. Afflicted by blindness, he turned to music in his early life, and began recording for the Swing Time label in 1949 as a member of The Maxim

whose pop hits marked him out as a distinctive song stylist

going to # 14 on the Hot 100

Jan Van der Crabben

plus most of the titles from his albums as Snooks Eaglin "Possum Up A Simmon Tree" on Folk-Lyric

with bands that included his Barn Dance Orchestra

Led by the legendary singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson

but which peaked in the Top 10 in 1947

As well as those leaders

and with Ozark Red for Cavalier

as was his style

backed with a version of the gospel classic 'Where There's A Will'

Trumpeter Miles Davis was without doubt one of the most important and influential jazz musicians of the post-war era