‘Ray’ soundtrack all original, includes live tracks from concert recording

“Ray” is one of those wonderfully tuneful films that will make you eager to get your hands on some of the music.

The good news: The film’s soundtrack CD is wall-to-wall Ray Charles originals and as faithful to the man’s music as the movie.

With nearly an hour of tracks heard in the film, “Ray” is an important sampler with most of the artist’s most memorable music, including “What’d I Say,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and “Unchain My Heart,” along with R&B classics “Mess Around,” “Mary Ann,” “Drown in My Own Tears” and “(Night Time Is) The Right Time.”

Charles’ important country period is represented by “Born to Love,” “Bye Bye Love,” “You Don’t Know Me” and an especially tasty live version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”

The rarities for collectors include a half-dozen live tracks from a hard-to-find Los Angeles concert recording and an impossible-to-find “live in Japan” recording.

If you’re looking for more Charles, you may want “Ray Charles: The Ultimate Collection,” with 36 tracks, or even the glorious, five-disc “Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection” (which has all the essentials, except the jazz numbers). For the jazz, try “The Great Ray Charles” or “Genius + Soul = Jazz.”

Other than the hits, the best Charles album remains “The Genius of Ray Charles,” a sublime album that frames Charles with a big band on half the tracks and with strings on the rest.

He’s also currently riding the charts with his last album, which was released in August, “Genius Loves Company.” The collection of duets features Charles performing with the likes of Elton John, Norah Jones, Johnny Mathis, James Taylor, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole and others.