George Benson – Live At Montreux 1986 (2006)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:22:01 minutes | 1023 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mercury Studios
“Live At Montreux 1986” captures George Benson’s performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. His performance includes classics from throughout his career, including “On Broadway,” “Lady Love Me (One More Time),” “In Your Eyes,” “Love X Love” and “20 / 20,” to name a few. He also performed cover versions, such as Roberta Flack’s number one hit “Feel Like Making Love” from 1974 and L. T.D. s hit “Love Ballad” from 1976, which landed Benson at number 3 on the US Billboard R&B charts in 1979.
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George Benson – Good Kind Bad (1976/2013)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,8 MHz | Time – 36:50 minutes | 1,45 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 36:50 minutes | 787 MB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: e-Onkyo | Genre: Jazz | © CTI Records
The R&B elements get stronger, the sound and mix are more attuned to the dancefloor, yet this brings out the best in George Benson’s funky side. Thanks in part to the more rigid beat, Benson pares down his style to its rhythmic essentials, refusing to spray notes all over the place at random, and as a result, the record cooks and dances. His treatment of Vince Guaraldi’s “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” hugely complemented by Joe Farrell’s wistfully prancing flute, is a mini-masterpiece in the use of space, of hitting exactly the right stabbing note right in the pocket. Again, Creed Taylor turns to a James Brown alumnus, David Matthews, for arrangements, and he discreetly and wisely stays out of Bad George’s way. Buy this one for “Cast Your Fate,” but there is plenty more to savor here.
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George Benson – Breezin’ (1976) [Audio Fidelity ‘2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD/DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 38:34 minutes | Scans included | 3,21 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | 38:45 minutes | Full Scans included | 724 MB
Features 2.0 Stereo & 5.1 multichannel Surround sound | Audio Fidelity # AFZ5 185
All of a sudden, George Benson became a pop superstar with this album, thanks to its least representative track. Most of Breezin’ is a softer-focused variation of Benson’s R&B/jazz-flavored CTI work, his guitar as assured and fluid as ever with Claus Ogerman providing the suave orchestral backdrops and his crack then-working band (including Ronnie Foster on keyboards and sparkplug Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar) pumping up the funk element. Yet it is the sole vocal track (his first in many years), Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” — where George unveiled his new trademark, scatting along with a single-string guitar solo — that reached number ten on the pop singles chart and drove the album all the way to number one on the pop (!) LP chart. The attractive title track also became a minor hit single, although Gabor Szabo’s 1971 recording with composer Bobby Womack is even more fetching. In the greater scheme of Benson’s career, Breezin’ is really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity.
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George Benson – White Rabbit (1971/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 36:09 minutes | 739 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Masterworks Jazz
Legendary guitarist and singer George Benson is joined by a historic band which includes Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto Moreira and more for this 1971 gem. The ensemble performs the ‘60s classic “White Rabbit,” “California Dreamin’” and “Summer Of ’42.” Benson’s guitar is in full blaze on this must-have audiophile download. White Rabbit remains one of Benson’s finest outings.
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George Benson – Weekend in London (Live) (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:12:30 minutes | 896 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Provogue
On November 6 2020, Mascot Label Group/Provogue Records releases a new live album “Weekend In London”, by the legendary George Benson. As an all-time icon and Grammy-winning giant of jazz, we have grown used to seeing George Benson on the stages that befit his sky-high status. During a six-decade career marked by awards, acclaim and Billboard-topping output, the Pennsylvania-born veteran has earned his place in both the history books and the biggest venues around the world. So it’s a rare treat – and a whole different thrill – to find this megastar going nose-to-nose with the breathless 250-capacity crowd at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, one of London’s most prestigious and famous venues. Weekend In London brings Benson full circle. The 77-year-old estimates that almost a half-century has passed since he last performed at the fabled Soho club, touching down in London as the hottest property on the US jazz scene of the early-’70s. The 2019 show that became Weekend In London was another fabled night to go down in the club’s folklore. This hard-bitten jazzman might prefer spontaneity to setlists, but this latest live album nods to many of his countless career peaks, whether he’s opening with the deathless groove of 1980’s US #4 smash Give Me The Night, revisiting fan favorites like Love X Love and In Your Eyes, or breathing fresh mojo into classic covers like Dave Bartholomew’s I Hear You Knocking and Donny Hathaway’s The Ghetto.
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George Benson – Weekend In London (Live & Track Commentary) (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:20:41 minutes | 939 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Provogue Records
Recorded at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in 2019, Weekend in London captures legendary singer/guitarist George Benson in an intimate performance that marks his first official concert recording in 30 years. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album finds Benson framed in illustrious fashion, backed by a funky jazz ensemble, strings, and a horn section. In many ways, the record brings to mind his classic 1978 live album Weekend in L.A. and finds him reinvestigating many of his most beloved recordings. The album opens with an effusive take on his 1980 hit “Give Me the Night” that perfectly sets the tone for the vintage ’70s and early-’80s soul-jazz vibes that follow. We get equally inspired readings of cuts like “Turn Your Love Around,” “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You,” and “Never Give Up on a Good Thing.” Benson also dips into his varied catalog, offering a rendition of Dave Bartholomew’s “I Hear You Knocking” off his 2019 album Walking to New Orleans: Remembering Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, as well as a stirring take on Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto,” which he first covered on 2000’s Absolute Benson. Although 76 years old at the time of recording, Benson sounds as engaged as ever, even as his bright tenor croon has gained just a modicum of grit and gravitas in the years since Weekend in L.A. marked him as an R&B superstar. Weekend in London is a fitting showcase for Benson’s smooth jazz skills and a further reminder of his soulful legacy. – Matt Collar
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George Benson – Walking To New Orleans (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 37:27 minutes | 462 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Provogue
From his origins as Wes Montgomery’s worthy heir to the funky Give Me the Night, his cover of On Broadway, his partnering with Al Jarreau, his participation on the Gorillaz’s The Now Now and his tributes to Nat King Cole, George Benson has always shown that he handles large tasks with ease. But above all, he remains one of the best jazz guitarists of his generation, whatever the style. At 76 years old, the funky virtuoso from Pittsburgh pays homage to the Mecca of music, New Orleans, and two pioneers of rock’n’roll that were lost to the world in 2017, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. The record features ten covers by the two geniuses that George Benson performs with a sense of refinement. His bluesy style and ferocious skill are even held back slightly. In its place the guitarist offers a tribute of class, temperance and subtlety. – Max Dembo
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George Benson – The Other Side Of Abbey Road (1970/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 31:49 minutes | 660 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © A&M
The Other Side of Abbey Road is a 1970 studio album by American guitarist George Benson of songs from the Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road. It was his last album for A&M Records. The front cover is a photograph of Benson by Eric Meola in E 53rd Street, Midtown East, New York City.
Online music service Rhapsody praised the album, calling it “winning”, a “delightful release”, and citing it as one of their 20 favorite cover albums.
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George Benson – Inspiration (A Tribute To Nat King Cole) (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 40:50 minutes | 907 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Craft Recordings
Inspiration (A Tribute To Nat King Cole) is one of George Benson’s most compelling albums to date. The recording is one of the most meaningful of Benson’s career and is a testament to the spirit of Cole’s timeless body of work. Benson’s heartfelt renditions of some of Cole’s greatest songs with Nelson Riddle arrangements and the 42-piece Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra are complemented by duets with TONY Award winner Idina Menzel and rising star Judith Hill, along with a special collaboration with multi-GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.
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George Benson – Guitar Man (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 43:03 minutes | 863 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Concord Jazz
National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master and Grammy-winning legend George Benson brings his guitar to the forefront in his newest album Guitar Man. The 12-song collection includes a mix of jazz and pop standards – some in a combo setting and some solo, but all of them tied together seamlessly by Benson’s soulful and exploratory signature sound. The album includes masterful takes on such classics as Coltrane’s “Naima,” “Tequila,” The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” and more.
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George Benson – Breezin’ (1976/2005)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 38:50 minutes | 602 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records
The 1976 triple-platinum album by 10X Grammy Winner George Benson marked the beginning of the guitarist and singer most successful commercial period. The album garnered 4 Grammys, including Best-Engineered Album, Non Classical and “Record of the Year” for the massive hit (and Leon Russell cover) “This Masquerade,” which topped the Pop, Jazz, and R&B charts.
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George Benson – Body Talk (1973/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 36:52 minutes | 1,39 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © CTI Records
With an eye and ear on what was happening on the soul charts — James Brown in particular — Benson made a decided swerve toward R&B on this release. Indeed the JB’s Pee Wee Ellis turns up as a big band arranger on three tracks, and he no doubt had a direct influence on the distinct JB groove of one of the non-big-band tunes, “Dance.” It should come as no surprise by now that this formidable guitarist has no problem handling any kind of groove, although the mixed rhythm section of Jack DeJohnette, Ron Carter, electric pianist Harold Mabern, and percussionist Mobutu sometimes sends mixed messages. Earl Klugh has a few tasty moments on his own, and there are some reconnaissance flights back to the jazz side of George, which he handles with his usual confident aplomb.
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George Benson – Bad Benson (1974/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 33:44 minutes | 1,25 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © CTI Records
Preceding Breezin’, his crossover smash for Warner in 1976, Bad Benson shows the guitarist still hanging on to his Wes Montgomery roots in places while stretching his soul-jazz persona into even funkier arenas. CTI had a formula for making funky, accessible jazz and fusion records that in 1974 still held true. Arranged by Don Sebesky, Bad Benson is a collection of delicious, varied, and sometimes confusing choices. Benson’s own playing is precise and smooth as always, and guitarist Phil Upchurch keeps a large color palette for him to draw from, as in the funkified version of “Take Five.” Other notables are the stellar “My Latin Brother,” which begins as a Debussy-ian impressionistic string study before becoming a heavily arpeggiated variation on the samba. Kenny Barron’s pianism here is the driving force behind a rhythm section that also includes drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Ron Carter. They give Benson a harmonic floor for one of the most inspiring solos of his career. These intensely meaty cuts — along with Upchurch’s stellar swinging in the pocket groover “Full Compass” — are juxtaposed against ballads such as “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams” and “The Changing World,” a pair of ballads that ape Montgomery’s later snore-fest session for A&M. Not a great album, but a very, very good one.
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George Benson – Breezin’
Artist: George Benson | Album: Breezin’ | Style: Jazz, Funk, Soul | Year: 2001 [1976 original] | Quality: DVD-Audio (MLP 5.1 96kHz/24Bit, MLP 2.0 96kHz/24Bit, Dolby AC3 5.1) | Bitrate: lossless | Tracks: 6+2 bonus | Size: ~4.09 Gb | Recovery: 3% | Covers: in archive | Release: Warner Archives / Rhino (R9 76715), 2001 | Note: Watermarked
All of a sudden, George Benson became a pop superstar with this album, thanks to its least representative track. Most of Breezin’ is a softer-focused variation of Benson’s R&B/jazz-flavored CTI work, his guitar as assured and fluid as ever with Claus Ogerman providing the suave orchestral backdrops and his crack then-working band (including Ronnie Foster on keyboards and sparkplug Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar) pumping up the funk element. Yet it is the sole vocal track (his first in many years), Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” — where George unveiled his new trademark, scatting along with a single-string guitar solo — that reached number ten on the pop singles chart and drove the album all the way to number one on the pop (!) LP chart. The attractive title track also became a minor hit single, although Gabor Szabo’s 1971 recording with composer Bobby Womack is even more fetching. In the greater scheme of Benson’s career, Breezin’ is really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity. (more…)
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