The Essential George Benson
The Essential George Benson covers 28 years and spans two discs, so it lives up to its claim of having the widest scope of all the Benson compilations that surfaced before it. While it's impressive that Columbia/Legacy didn't merely mine Columbia and CTI dates, and licensed material from Warner Bros. and Prestige as well (the brief Verve period is unrepresented), you could also say that the label also spread itself thin, with several crucial moments in Benson s career unable to fit. If Columbia/Legacy were honest, they'd position this as more of a sampler with a few curve balls. No matter what era you prefer, you're going to come up short, and it's not as if most people who are curious about Benson are going to be open-minded enough to appreciate both "Clockwise" and the vastly different "Give Me the Night." Some of the surprise selections, which almost outnumber the obvious ones, include an alternate take of "Ode to a Kudu," "Hip Skip" (from Tony Williams late-'70s Joy of Flying , "Rock Candy" (from Brother Jack McDuff Live! , and "Paraphernalia" (a bizarre pick for any form of anthology, from Miles Davis Miles in the Sky . Even casual fans won't have to think too hard about essential cuts that aren't here -- "Durham's Turn," "Nature Boy," "The World Is a Ghetto," "Love X Love," and on and on, but the majority of what's here cannot be challenged. This is a way to begin -- not wrap up -- your fascination with Benson It is representative of the breadth of his career from 1963 through 1980, but it could have just as easily been done a dozen other ways. The sound is vibrant, and Benson s track-by-track commentary adds a nice touch. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
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Credits »
George Benson - Interviewee
Jorge Dalto - Soloist
Quincy Jones - Producer
Pee Wee Ellis - Arranger
Dave Matthews - String Arrangements
Steven Berkowitz - A&R
Claus Ogerman - Conductor
Claus Ogerman - Orchestral Arrangements
Michael Cuscuna - Producer
Don Sebesky - Arranger
Jim Fishel - Producer
Lew Futterman - Producer
Jerry Hey - Horn Arrangements
Jerry Hey - String Arrangements
James Isaacs - Interviewer
Tommy LiPuma - Producer
Teo Macero - Producer
Peter Paul - Producer
Richard Seidel - Compilation Producer
Vernon Smith - Photography
Vernon Smith - Tray Photo
Creed Taylor - Producer
Rod Temperton - Vocal Arrangement
Chuck Stewart - Photography
Chuck Stewart - Cover Photo
Don Hunstein - Photography
Seth Rothstein - Project Director
Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
Tony Ruption Williams - Producer
Mark Unterberger - Packaging Manager
Woody Pornpitaksuk - Digital Remastering
Sabeen Ahmad - Photo Research
John F. Hammond - Producer
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