|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
- Includes FREE MP3 version of this album Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Editorial Reviews
2011 release from the Grammy-winning Jazz legend. The album 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. Lending a hand on this recording is a solid team made up of veterans and newcomers alike - pianist Joe Sample, keyboardist and musical director David Garfield, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Harvey Mason.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Four and a half SPLENDID Stars. Ten-time Grammy-winning jazz guitar legend George Benson serves up wide-ranging, wonderful renditions of mostly pop, rock, and R&B standards that are delivered in the prime Benson mode of suave vocals, dazzling solo guitar pieces which are marvels of virtuosity, and cohesive group performances which are inventive, funky, and hard-swinging. The 'best of the best' begins with 'Tenderly": a lovely swirling guitar solo with fiery runs that pleads the case for a Benson solo guitar recording. Coltrane's "Naima" begins as a blazing solo guitar exposition that becomes a quartet excursion, with a great David Garfield piano solo. A hard-swinging "Tequila" recalls Wes Montgomery but with those distinctive Benson note clusters and overtones, with a hard backbeat from drummer Harvey Mason and telling interlude from bassist Ben Williams. A beautiful, funky rendition of Rod Temperton's "The Lady In My Life" will remind many of the "Thriller"-era Michael Jackson. A fantastic "Danny Boy" is a distinctive solo with enough grace notes, pizzazz, and pacing to avoid any melancholy, as Benson alludes to multiple guitars. "Since I Fell For You" and "My One and Only Love" are beautifully sung with Joe Sample on piano on the latter. A vamping "Fingerlero" is in the prime-time jazz area code with Benson doing the head and solo in his virturally patented voice/guitar unison manner with Sample soloing inventively on piano. Entering his 6th decade of excellence with over 30 recordings to his credit, George Benson gives us a wonderfully enjoyable recording that had me hitting the repeat button. Encore, Mr Benson! Highly Recommended. Four and a half DYNAMIC Stars! (Based on an mp3 download of 12 tracks; Total time: ~43m:22s)
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Actually it's 4.5 (at least 2 songs spoil the listening pleasure)
October 7, 2011
By Les Blachut
Format:Audio CD
So you looked at my rating and scratched your head or even got really angry and yelled: How dare you? (OK! so it's really four and a half.) The reason I dared to do what I did is simple. The overwhelming dominance of 5-star customer reviews for everything that George Benson ever recorded makes me wonder what it would take for some of those reviewers to ever rate something less than five stars... It must be nice to live in a world where everything is perfect. Undeniably this album is perfect when it comes to the production detail and the technical quality of recording but... when it comes to the choice of repertoire it fails at least twice. Listen to the 1971 White Rabbit (a take on the Jefferson Airplane's repertoire) for example and compare. A ground-breaking visionary recording versus conservation and some recycling. Sorry to say but "My One and Only Love" sounds to me like a cheap imitation of the Coltrane/Hartman's version and so does " Since I Fell For You" of the Al Jarreau's version. "Don't Know Why" is a better take maybe because it's not sung and also it's not an exact copy of the overplayed original. In general all solo guitar and small group tracks come off better than the production numbers with an exception of "Fingerlero" which I thoroughly enjoyed mostly because it had lots of new unexpected twists and turns in Benson's signature sing-n-play unison lines. This album will certainly please every smooth jazz fan on the planet but may not be as satisfying to the ears of those who know George Benson as an explorer of new sounds and a pioneer of the soul-jazz guitar we used to hear on CTI, Verve, Blue Note and Columbia.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have my own thoughts. But only George Benson knows how he can do what he does all these years and still have that great batting average in terms of the quality. After his previous album Songs & Stories,which by the high I very very highly recommend I don't know if I had many expectations there would be another album by him for awhile. In all honesty this came as something of a surprise. When I found out it was a collection of standards I wondered if it would be a cliched project. Well that lasted for one second when I realize that THIS WAS GEORGE BENSON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT! And his abilities as an interpretive musician are more than well documented on projects such as his 1969 release Other Side of Abbey Road. Not only that I was delighted to see the song choices he made-realizing there are now many generations of standards to cover,not just one and even including new ones from after the turn of the millennium. By setting the songs up this way he helps us realize that quality music still exists out there. And in HIS hands? Well I'll tell you!
True it's really hard to lose anytime Paul Jackson,Joe Sample,Harvey Mason and Lenny Castro get involved. But this an amazing session. The sound quality is particularly strong! Even though some songs feature either solo performances or a different array of personnel producer John Burk really let go on this one,allowing the production to be wide open and crisp even as Benson makes a killing across amazingly re harmonized solo guitar pieces such as "Tenderly" and "Danny Boy",two highlights. With the full band in tow though,he does the same thing to "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with a great soul-jazz flavor to boot;it's often hard to tell this came from John,Paul,George and Ringo originally-Benson is such a superb improviser on that one. "My Cherie Amour" and his take on Norah Jones "Don't Know Why",but especially as accompanied by the Bossa Nova percussion of Castro on the Stevie Wonder song the flair he gives to the melody is still classic Benson all the way. His take on "The Lady In My Life" though? A whole other thing. Stripping out the heavier production of the original,this is basically a slickly produced live instrumental version-with Benson's elastic guitar playing the role of MJ's elastic vocals.
"Tequila" is a bit of a surprising song but a great party number done up again with more of a funky soul jazz flavor than the hard edged roadhouse rocking R&B of the original. You can really see the musicians are excited and genuinely having fun here. And the fact that it sounds fun doesn't take away from the brilliance of the musicianship. There's an upbeat quartet version of "Paper Moon" along with "Since I Fell For You"-just Benson and David Garfield on piano showcasing that Benson's creamy,elastic voice-always very close to his guitar sound. And the closer with Ronnie Foster's "Fingerlero"? SMOKING SMOKING SMOKING! We're talking serious,melodic latin funk here and it all times out perfect. So in the end this is a terrific album,different in nature from but every bit the equal to his previous album. George Benson's a guy that's always come and gone in terms of releases. But he's been in rare form during this period. Can't wait to hear what the "guitar man" is going to come up with next!
True it's really hard to lose anytime Paul Jackson,Joe Sample,Harvey Mason and Lenny Castro get involved. But this an amazing session. The sound quality is particularly strong! Even though some songs feature either solo performances or a different array of personnel producer John Burk really let go on this one,allowing the production to be wide open and crisp even as Benson makes a killing across amazingly re harmonized solo guitar pieces such as "Tenderly" and "Danny Boy",two highlights. With the full band in tow though,he does the same thing to "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with a great soul-jazz flavor to boot;it's often hard to tell this came from John,Paul,George and Ringo originally-Benson is such a superb improviser on that one. "My Cherie Amour" and his take on Norah Jones "Don't Know Why",but especially as accompanied by the Bossa Nova percussion of Castro on the Stevie Wonder song the flair he gives to the melody is still classic Benson all the way. His take on "The Lady In My Life" though? A whole other thing. Stripping out the heavier production of the original,this is basically a slickly produced live instrumental version-with Benson's elastic guitar playing the role of MJ's elastic vocals.
"Tequila" is a bit of a surprising song but a great party number done up again with more of a funky soul jazz flavor than the hard edged roadhouse rocking R&B of the original. You can really see the musicians are excited and genuinely having fun here. And the fact that it sounds fun doesn't take away from the brilliance of the musicianship. There's an upbeat quartet version of "Paper Moon" along with "Since I Fell For You"-just Benson and David Garfield on piano showcasing that Benson's creamy,elastic voice-always very close to his guitar sound. And the closer with Ronnie Foster's "Fingerlero"? SMOKING SMOKING SMOKING! We're talking serious,melodic latin funk here and it all times out perfect. So in the end this is a terrific album,different in nature from but every bit the equal to his previous album. George Benson's a guy that's always come and gone in terms of releases. But he's been in rare form during this period. Can't wait to hear what the "guitar man" is going to come up with next!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
Bought this after hearing "I Want To Hold Your Hand" once! Have been so happy with this CD. It's a favorite in our office. We listen to it aat least once a week.
Published 3 months ago by Mary Kats
5.0 out of 5 stars
George Benson rocks!
Whether he is just playing his guitar with his fabulous touch or singing along with his beautiful voice, the CD is simply sublime.
Published 4 months ago by shelbel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect
This CD came fastly and with no problems at all. It was great for a gift for someone in my family.
Published 5 months ago by laurenmae
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some wonderful guitar!
Have played this through several times and am enjoying it more each time! I have other CD's by George Benson and was happy to get this one.
Published 6 months ago by KarenK
5.0 out of 5 stars
GEORGE ON GUITAR
CLASSIC GEORGE BENSON ON A HOST OF GREAT MUSICIANS PLAYING JAZZ, POP AND BLUES.. IN OUR TIME WITH THE INTENSITY OF THEIR COLLECTIVE GREATNESS..
Published 6 months ago by LESTER O'GARRO
5.0 out of 5 stars
CVJ
As always, George Benson has produced a CD that showcases his talents and provides the listener with an most enjoyable evening of smooth and relaxing jazz music.
Published 7 months ago by C. Veasey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Tequila
Overall, I like this CD and the song selection. Originally, I purchased it after hearing one of the songs (Tequila) on the radio. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Hesychast
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tequila
I bought this album particularly for the cut 'Tequila'. This is solid George Benson, hard driving, clean guitar work. I especially liked the keyboard support on this cut. Read more
Published 11 months ago by wide interests
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful CD, received faster than expected
Had read the review beforehand and it was all I expected. Just the right CD for lovers of jazz guitar!
Published 14 months ago by Antonius J. Van Heide
5.0 out of 5 stars
Give Me The Striking Guitar Sound. . .With All Its Chords...
This is it! It is just what I ordered--the latest album from a remarkable guitarist/vocalist and multi-Grammy winner, George Benson. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue*
