Brawner honors Ray Charles legacy in Palladium concert

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Kenny Brawner regards his show as something more than a tribute to Ray Charles.

“I call it a hybrid theater-concert piece where we actually play Ray’s music and tell the story,” Brawner said. “I go into character as Ray. I stay into character the whole show.”

Brawner will perform “Ray On My Mind: The Ray Charles Story” at 8 p.m. March 25 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.

Brawner, a popular pianist-vocalist, will lead the 11-piece orchestra and three vocalists, similar to the Raelettes who sang with Charles, in performing some of Charles’ biggest hits.

“The arrangements are very close to Ray’s arrangements,” said Brawner, who performs monologues to detail Charles’ journey.

Brawner said trumpet player Roger Ingram, who will play in the Palladium performance, played with Charles for five years.

“It’s a big orchestra sound,” Brawner said.

Brawner started working on the Charles concerts in 2014.

“Even in my own music, people say they can hear a little Ray Charles in everything I can do,” said Brawner, who usually played a couple of Ray Charles songs in his own concerts.

Like Charles, Brawner is a Georgia native.

“He was a big influence on my music growing up,” Brawner said.

Brawner said the Charles concerts consume most of his schedule.

“I’m going to Europe in the summer to do some blues festivals, just me and some Italian musicians I’ll be working with,” he said.

Brawner said many of his shows were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since the fall, we’ve been working pretty steadily,” he said.

Brawner’s Palladium performance marks the first time he has brought the show to central Indiana.

Brawner said the purpose is to keep Charles’ music alive. Ray Charles Jr. attended a recent performance of the show in California.

“He came backstage, gave us his OK and took pictures with us,” Brawner said. “We had a lot of fun with him. He thought we did a great job and was pleased with the show.”

Brawner attended several of Ray Charles’ concerts.

“When I was 17, I went back to see if I could talk with him,” Brawner said. “I asked for an autograph, and he said, ’Son, I can’t write.’ I was a little bit embarrassed. To this day, I’m still embarrassed by that.”

Charles, who died in 2004, was completely blind by age 7.

Brawner said one of his favorite Charles’ songs is “You Don’t Know Me.”

“Every time I start that song, the audiences, no matter we are, they always go in applause when I open up that song,” he said. “‘Georgia on my Mind’ gets the same response.”

Brawner said Ray Charles Jr. said he appreciates the fact that Brawner plays many of his father’s older songs, such as “A Fool for You” and “Drown in My Own Tears.”

The concert also includes favorites such “I Got a Woman,” “What’d I Say” and “Baby it’s Cold Outside.”

“We have a good time on stage,” Brawner said. “We project that to the audience and hope they are having a good time. I can say we have not had one show that bombed. We usually get a standing ovation at the end.”

For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.


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