Search - George Benson :: The George Benson Collection

When George Benson was making these recordings in the 1970s, he was considered a talented jazz guitarist who had crossed over to pop-soul vocals. While there's certainly pure pop and an emphasis on vocals here, there's also something else: smooth jazz. Included are classics of the genre like the instrumental "Breezin'" and the King Pleasure vocalese "Moody's Mood." Benson's hit versions of songs like "On Broadway" and "This Masquerade" are memorable, too, with him singing scat in unison with his guitar. In Benson's hands, Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" becomes a quasi-symphonic instrumental with touches of flamenco, and the vocal duets "Love All the Hurt Away" with Aretha Franklin and "We Got the Love" with Chaka Khan are solid soul ballads. --Adam Rains