It's an often-seen case: A talented musician comes in demand, and begins to tour, and tour. As time goes by, the repertoire becomes more established, and the same material gets retreaded, often going stale. Once-memorable lyrics and riffs begin to lose something from the abusive, exploitative repetition.
Musical genius, however, continuously finds new layers and manages to repeatedly bring freshness to performances, which grow ever richer. Great chefs know time itself can be a critical ingredient -- certain spices and seasonings, given the chance, find their way to unexpected medleys and powerful sensations.
One such master is Ray Charles, who is currently on a breakneck tour of Japan through Dec. 23.