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. 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. Williams is one of the hottest up-and-coming new artists on the jazz scene. Mason is a regular member of Fourplay, and a studio collaborator with Benson all the way back to Benson's 1976 blockbuster album, Breezin'.

In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the way, he has also established himself as a formidable jazz singer - one whose biggest career hits have showcased his vocals. But Guitar Man is just what the title implies - an album that highlights Benson's unparalleled guitar playing, perhaps more than any other album he has released in decades.

For the new project, the crew came together in the studio with a minimum of prior rehearsal time but an eagerness to jump in and lay down tracks in something very close to the live experience - what Benson describes as an "old school" approach. The impromptu sensibility comes across in the final product, much of which came together with minimal takes in a single day of recording.

"We figured that we would get the best energy if we went into the studio with some live musicians who are savvy and flexible," says Benson, "and boy, did we accomplish that." On Guitar Man, Benson's mastery of the guitar is demonstrated in a variety of styles and settings, all with legendary jazz roots. Benson has never been one to shy away from innovation or experimentation. For this guitar man, putting a jazz spin on pop standards - not just on this recording but throughout his career - is less of a taboo when you're willing to dispense with labels and the limitations that come with them.

The vocal superstar & jazz guitar legend's most popular hits showcased on a TV marketed single-disc compilation of timeless music! 19 remastered tracks, more than 75 minutes of magic.

George has been one of the few jazz artists to "cross over" repeatedly over the last two decades, and this 14-track collection has every big hit! Includes On Broadway; Give Me the Night; This Masquerade; Love Ballad; Turn Your Love Around; Never Give Up on a Good Thing; 20/20 , and more.

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BENSON,GEORGE
Title: WEEKEND IN L.A.
Street Release Date: 05/10/1988
Domestic
Genre: JAZZ

No Description Available.
Genre: Jazz Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 9-MAR-1989

George Benson is truly a legend; a guitarist of unparalleled chops and a vocalist with great emotional range and sophistication, and his latest release finds him at his very best! Songs and Stories is a collection of tunes penned by some of the most prolific and enduring songwriters of the last half-century such as James Taylor, Smokey Robinson, Lamont Dozier, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, and several others. The album also includes guest performances by David Paich, Gerald Albright, Lalah Hathaway, Lee Ritenour, Norman Brown, Patti Austin, Steve Lukather, Tom Scott and many more.

CD > POPULAR MUSIC > ROCK

Remastered for the first time using the original two-track analog tapes, the 40th Anniversary Edition of White Rabbit is packaged in a softpack sleeve that replicates the original LP and its iconic cover design. White Rabbit was a 1972 Grammy® nominee for Best Jazz Performance by a Group and features the signature title track arrangement of the Jefferson Airplane classic.

Essential George Benson Label: Sony Release Date: 3/28/2006 Disc 1 1 Rock Candy [Live] 2 Shadow Dancers 3 Clockwise 4 Willow Weep for Me 5 A Foggy Day 6 The Borgia Stick 7 Paraphernalia 8 Sugar 9 So What 10 Ode to a Kudu 11 California Dreamin' Disc 2 1 White Rabbit 2 Body Talk 3 Take Five 4 Summertime [Live] 5 Breezin' 6 This Masquerade 7 On Broadway [Live] 8 Give Me the Night 9 Hip Skip 10 Gotham City