After a long, hot summer, it’s finally cooling off outside, and a perfect record to listen to on a crisp fall morning with the windows open has to be Mitty Collier’s Shades of a Genius, released in 1965 on Chess Records.
The album is Collier’s tribute to Ray Charles, recording many of his songs in homage, with her flawless, soulful vocals that can soothe and lift your spirits at the same time.
Born in Alabama in 1941, Collier is still alive, though she left her secular singing career in the 70s and became a pastor, moving to sing gospel songs instead. I picked up a reissue of this record for five bucks at the Austin Record Convention a couple of weeks ago, and it’s worth every penny and then some.