Jazz / Urban, Jazz-Pop, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Quiet Storm, Smooth Jazz
George Benson - Vocals, Guitar
Abraham Laboriel Bass
Al Schmitt Engineer, Mixing
Arif Mardin Producer
B.J. Nelson Vocals (Background)
Babi Floyd Vocals (Background)
Bashiri Johnson Percussion
Bill Champlin Vocals (Background)
Bill Reichenbach Jr. Trombone
Bill Thomas Engineer
Brenda White Vocals (Background)
Bruce Swedien Mixing, Engineer
Bryan Lee Janszen Drum Programming
Carmen Twilley Vocals (Background)
Chuck Findley Trumpet
Claus Ogerman Conductor, Arranger
Claytoven Richardson Vocals (Background)
Danny Sembello Vocals (Background), Synthesizer Bass, Programming, Fender Rhodes, Drums
Dave Weckl Cymbals
David Foster Mixing, Synthesizer
David Frazer Engineer, Mixing
David Paich Keyboards, Arranger, Synthesizer Bass, Synthesizer
Diva Gray Vocals (Background)
Earl Klugh Guitar (Acoustic)
Ed Rak Mixing
Elliot Scheiner Engineer
Frank Martin Synthesizer
Gary Herbig Saxophone, Flute
Gary Ladinsky Engineer
Greg Phillinganes Keyboards
Hamish Stuart Vocals (Background)
Hans Neleman Photography
Harvey Mason, Sr. Drums
Herbie Hancock Piano (Electric)
Ira Siegel Guitar
Jai Winding Fender Rhodes, Piano
James Newton Howard Keyboards, Arranger, Mixing, Synthesizer
Jay Graydon Guitar, Arranger, Synthesizer, Songwriter, Producer
Jeff Porcaro Drums
Jeremy Smith Mixing
Jerry Hey Horn (Alto), Brass Arrangement, Trumpet, Mixing
Jim Gilstrap Vocals (Background)
Jocelyn Brown Vocals (Background)
Joe Bogan Engineer
Kashif Vocals (Background), Synclavier, Synthesizer, Rhythm Arrangements, Drums, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Percussion, Moog Bass
Kim Hutchcroft Saxophone, Flute
Larry Williams Flute, Saxophone
Lee Hershberg Digital Mastering
Lee Ritenour Guitar
Lenny Castro Percussion
Leslie Ming Drums
Lillo Thomas Vocals (Background)
Linda Cobb Design, Artwork
Louis Johnson Bass
Matt Pierson Compilation Producer
Michael Boddicker Synthesizer
Michael O'Reilly Mixing, Engineer
Mike Baird Cymbals
Mike Mainieri Arranger, Conductor
Narada Michael Walden Drum Programming
Nathan East Bass
Patti Austin Vocals (Background)
Paulinho Da Costa Percussion
Phil Upchurch Bass, Guitar (Rhythm)
Preston Glass Percussion, Bass Sequencing, Synthesizer, Programming
Quincy Jones Producer, Rhythm Arrangements
Ralph MacDonald Percussion
Randy Goodrum Drums, Synthesizer Programming, Sequencing
Randy Waldman Synthesizer Programming, Synthesizer
Richard Tee Synthesizer Bass
Rob Mounsey Synclavier
Robert Popwell Bass
Rod Temperton Rhythm Arrangements, Vocal Arrangement
Ronnie Foster Polymoog, Synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, Mini Moog, Piano (Electric)
Russ Titelman Mixing, Producer
Stanley Banks Bass
Stephen Benben Percussion
Steve Gadd Drums
Steve Kipner Drums, Sequencing Programmer
Steve Lukather Guitar
Steve Porcaro Synthesizer
Thom Wilson Engineer
Tom Bahler Vocals (Background)
Tommy LiPuma Producer
Zachary Sanders Vocals (Background)
If a George Benson fan owned THE BEST OF GEORGE BENSON as well as THE GEORGE BENSON COLLECTION, he almost wouldn't have to own another George Benson CD. While there is some duplication of titles between the two Warner Brothers releases, this later release does as excellent a job of highlighting Benson's later career, as COLLECTION does for his earlier career.
"I Just Wanna Hang Around You," "Love X Love," "20/20," "Kisses in the Moonlight," and "Lady Love Me (One More Time)" are among the newer song highlights on this 1995 CD.
Warner Bros.' second George Benson compilation, unlike Collection, only draws from the label's own catalog, so by definition, it's a less representative sampler. And even then, it does not give a thorough overview of Benson's 17-year tenure at Warner Bros. Understandably for a best-of album, it concentrates on such hot-selling Benson vocal hits as "This Masquerade," "Give Me the Night," "Turn Your Love Around," and "On Broadway." Yet there is not so much as a single instrumental, nor anything from Benson's last five Warners albums, the last three of which (Tenderly, Big Boss Band, Love Remembers) contain a good deal of his best mature work, if not any hits. So, in other words, this collection serves those who are interested in George Benson the chart-maker, and it's a fine collection for that audience. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
George Benson
Active Decades: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Mar 22, 1943 in Pittsburgh, PA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Fusion, Hard Bop, Jazz-Pop, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Quiet Storm, Smooth Jazz
George Benson is simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, but he is also an amazingly versatile musician, and that frustrates to no end critics who would paint him into a narrow bop box. He can play in just about any style -- from swing to bop to R&B to pop -- with supreme taste, a beautiful rounded tone, terrific speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, always, an unquenchable urge to swing. His inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery -- and he can do dead-on impressions of both -- but his style is completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger, particularly in a soul-jazz format. Yet Benson can also sing in a lush soulful tenor with mannerisms similar to those of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, and it is his voice that has proved to be more marketable to the public than his guitar. Benson is the guitar-playing equivalent of Nat King Cole -- a fantastic pianist whose smooth way with a pop vocal eventually eclipsed his instrumental prowess in the marketplace -- but unlike Cole, Benson has been granted enough time after his fling with the pop charts to reaffirm his jazz guitar credentials, which he still does at his concerts.
Benson actually started out professionally as a singer, performing in nightclubs at eight, recording four sides for RCA's X label in 1954, forming a rock band at 17 while using a guitar that his stepfather made for him. Exposure to records by Christian, Montgomery, and Charlie Parker got him interested in jazz, and by 1962, the teenaged Benson was playing in Brother Jack McDuff's band. After forming his own group in 1965, Benson became another of talent scout John Hammond's major discoveries, recording two highly regarded albums of soul-jazz and hard bop for Columbia and turning up on several records by others, including Miles Davis' Miles in the Sky. He switched to Verve in 1967, and, shortly after the death of Montgomery in June 1968, producer Creed Taylor began recording Benson with larger ensembles on A&M (1968-1969) and big groups and all-star combos on CTI (1971-1976).
While the A&M and CTI albums certainly earned their keep and made Benson a guitar star in the jazz world, the mass market didn't catch on until he began to emphasize vocals after signing with Warner Bros. in 1976. His first album for Warner Bros., Breezin', became a Top Ten hit on the strength of its sole vocal track, "This Masquerade," and this led to a string of hit albums in an R&B-flavored pop mode, culminating with the Quincy Jones-produced Give Me the Night. As the '80s wore on, though, Benson's albums became riddled with commercial formulas and inferior material, with his guitar almost entirely relegated to the background. Perhaps aware of the futility of chasing the charts (after all, "This Masquerade" was a lucky accident), Benson reversed his field late in the '80s to record a fine album of standards, Tenderly, and another with the Basie band, his guitar now featured more prominently. His pop-flavored work also improved noticeably in the '90s. Benson retains the ability to spring surprises on his fans and critics, like his dazzlingly idiomatic TV appearance and subsequent record date with Benny Goodman in 1975 in honor of John Hammond, and his awesome command of the moment at several Playboy Jazz Festivals in the 1980s. His latter-day recordings include the 1998 effort Standing Together, 2000's Absolute Benson, 2001's All Blues, and 2004's Irreplaceable. Three songs from 2006's Givin' It Up, recorded with Al Jarreau, were nominated for Grammy Awards in separate categories.
---Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide |
