Awesome but not for newbies
The Rocketman | Los Angeles, CA | 02/06/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It appears this set may not be readily available. Those looking for these recordings should check out "In the Beginning 1949-1952" (ASIN: B0006B65UM) also available at Amazon as both CD sets contain the same recordings. I have reviewed these recordings on the site of the new re-release. (It appears that the new set does not contain the excellent booklet of liner notes, so it may be worth buying this set used if you can find it.)
Although these records cover a lot of the period shown in the biopic movie RAY, you probably want to skip this set until you get the Atlantic recordings box set - which covers his more well-known material from the movie. These CDs are best appreciated by Ray Charles and R&B aficionados."