Ray Charles Keeps Breaking New Ground in Old Fields

It would be easy for Ray Charles to peddle cheap nostalgia this late in his illustrious career, but instead he continues to explore new emotional terrain in songs he’s sung literally thousands of times.

His set at the Greek Theatre on Sunday clocked in just shy of an hour, but in that brief time he managed to traverse practically the entire expanse of American popular music. Backed as usual by his sturdily proficient 17-piece band, Charles, 67, wove strands of gospel, R&B;, pop, blues and Tin Pan Alley into a moving song cycle of heartbreak and redemption.

Alternating between blustery big-band arrangements and mournful balladry, the R&B; legend managed to turn such old warhorses as “Georgia on My Mind,” “Just for a Thrill,” and “I Believe to My Soul” into powerful testimonials to love lost and never found. Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” resonated like an old spiritual, while “Mississippi Mud’s” loping, swing-jazz vibe conjured the ghost of Count Basie. Through all the stylistic change-ups, Charles’ voice held firm, frequently swooping from a guttural wail to a confessional whisper in the space of a single phrase. Even a by-the-numbers take of “What’d I Say” couldn’t derail this superbly modulated performance.

Second-billed Cassandra Wilson is a master at taking familiar melodies and morphing them into fascinating new shapes. Accompanied by a trio led by pianist Jackie Terrason, the singer gave songs as disparate as “Surrey With a Fringe on Top” and “That Old Devil Moon” a sensual, languorous, Afro-jazz make-over.