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George Benson - Songs And Stories (2009)
Artist George Benson
Title Songs And Stories
Category Rock/Pop Albums, Jazz CDs, R&B, Jazz Instrument, Soul/R&B, Contemporary R&B, Smooth
Label Concord
Discs 1
Release Date Aug 25, 2009
Studio/Live Studio
Producer David Paich; John Burk; Marcus Miller; Steve Lukather
Source: Original CD
Size Torrent: 387 Mb
Cover Included
Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Single File.flac, Eac.log,
File.cue Multiple wav file with Gaps (Noncompliant)
Accurately ripped (confidence 17)
Track list
01. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight (3:48)
02. Family Reunion (4:19)
03. Show Me The Love (4:17)
04. A Telephone Call Away (5:56)
05. Someday We'll All Be Free (6:22)
06. Nuthin' But A Party (5:30)
07. Come In From The Cold (4:33)
08. Exotica (5:30)
09. Rainy Night In Georgia (4:51)
10. One Like You (4:43)
11. Living In High Definition (7:15)
12. Sailing (5:16)
Personnel
Personnel: George Benson (vocals, guitar); Norman Brown (vocals, guitar); Marcus Miller (vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, keyboards, vibraphone, marimba, percussion, programming); Patti Austin (vocals, background vocals); Lalah Hathaway (vocals); Paul Jackson, Jr. , Ray Parker, Jr., Steve Lukather, Wah Wah Watson (guitar); Lee Ritenour (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Marcelo Lima, Toninho Horta (acoustic guitar); Todor Pelev, Victoria Lanier, Kathleen Robertson, Gerry Hilera, Dennis Molchan, Xiao Niu He, Sai Ly Acosta, Charles Everett, Joel Derouin, Susan Chatman, Ronald Clark (violin); Robin Ross, Michael Molnau, John Hayhurst, Evan Wilson (viola); Gerald Albright, Tom Scott (saxophone); Chuck Findley, Gary Grant (trumpet); Charles Loper (trombone); Greg Phillinganes (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); David Garfield (piano, organ, keyboards); William Magalhaes (Fender Rhodes piano); David Paich, Rod Temperton (keyboards, programming); Bruno Cardozo, Bobby Sparks (keyboards); Steve Porcaro (synthesizer); John "J.R." Robinson , Maguinho Alcântara (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Noël Lee (wind chime); Carolyn Perry, Lori Perry, Sharon Perry (background vocals).
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Biography
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
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Fans of smooth jazz appreciated guitarist/vocalist George Benson's last album, 2006's Givin' It Up, a collaboration with Al Jarreau. While the two seemed to have great fun covering each other's songs as well as other soul and jazz classics, they sounded somewhat reserved, as if afraid to really cut loose. Benson's followup, Songs and Stories, features him doing what he does best: jazz-inflected R&B. While some cuts venture into smooth jazz territory, others allow him to display his funkier side.
For Songs and Stories, Benson selected songs that spoke to him lyrically. James Taylor's “Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” gets a sultry makeover, while Donnie Hathaway's classic “Someday We'll All Be Free” also benefits from Benson's jazz-influenced version. His cover of “Rainy Night in Georgia” fits right in with his '70s output, recalling the seamless jazz and soul fusion of “Breezin'” and “This Masquerade.” George BensonWhile his guitar skills still impress (check out the extended solo on this song), his voice sounds even better on this track, with Benson exploring his range and interpreting the lyrics.
Although Benson covers many well-known classics, he also performs compositions written specifically for him. Soul legend Bill Withers came out of retirement to pen “A Telephone Call Away;” while not among his best compositions, it still bears his trademark of pure romanticism. Guest vocalist Lalah Hathaway provides a lovely counterpoint for Benson's voice. Better is the excellent Rod Temperton's “Family Reunion,” which suits Benson's jazz leanings perfectly. This piece of smooth, laid back, gentle soul should be the lead single for Songs and Stories.
Jazz artist Norman Brown guests on “Nuthin' But A Party,” with Brown even mentioning how thrilled he is to work with his “idol,” Benson. “Show Me the Love,” featuring Ray Parker, Jr. on guitar, also recalls Benson's '70s work, with the horns giving the song extra punch. As with many tracks on Songs and Stories, Benson recruited studio veterans such as horn master Jerry Hey, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, Temperton, vocalist Patti Austin, saxophonist Tom Scott, and guitarist Lee Ritenour. The quality shows on virtually every track.
“One Like You,” written by Smokey Robinson and David Garfield, does enter smooth jazz territory, but Benson's enthusiastic vocals and the tune's beautiful chord changes rescue the song from the ordinary. More intriguing is “Living in High Definition,” a Lamont Dozier composition, which begins as a typical modern jazz instrumental but quickly transforms into a horn-filled, Indian-influenced (see The Stylistics's “You Are Everything”), wah-wah pedaled '70s homage. Benson scats, as usual, over his guitar, but the entire band is the star of this track, making it a good-time jam. Finishing on an instrumental version of “Sailing,” Benson correctly maintains the easygoing, mellow tone of Christopher Cross's original, while injecting some welcome jazzy guitar into the proceedings.
Benson fans who wish he would return to his '70s jazz-funk roots will find much to like about Songs and Stories. His voice sounds stronger than ever, and his nimble guitar playing remains distinctive and highly artistic. Unlike on some recent work, Benson finally lets loose and sounds re-energized. Overall, Songs and Stories represents a welcome return to soulful form.
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