Search - George Benson :: Bad Benson

Essential Benson

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first five tracks are: Take Five; Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams; My Latin Brother; No Sooner Said Than Done; and Full Compass. The last four tracks are as listed.
I must confess that although George Benson is a pretty good singer, George Benson the jazz guitarist appeals to me far more than George Benson the vocalist. And as a jazz guitarist, most of his finest work was done while under contract to the famed CTI jazz label. Among the many fine albums he cut for CTI, Bad Benson ranks near the top.
There is a lot of great music on this CD which opens with an exuberant arrangement of Paul Desmond's Take Five that is among the best interpretations of that classic that I've heard. Other favorites from the original issue are inspired renditions of Benson's own My Latin Brother and the Phil Upchurch composition, No Sooner Said Than Done.
Two of the three bonus tracks really are "bonuses" that add immeasurably to the enjoyment of this recording. First, there is a fine rendition of the famed Take The "A" Train, but what really puts the CD over the top is a 13-minute jam written by CTI house arranger Don Sebesky called Serbian Blue. With Benson on lead, Phil Upchurch on rhythm, Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on Bass, and Steve Gadd on drums, Serbian Blue becomes one of the finest extended jams of its time.
Bad Benson is definitely essential Benson. This is not only one of Benson's best CTI recordings, it is in the top five of all his recordings. If you are a George Benson fan and haven't heard this yet, you are in for a real treat. I recommend that you order it immediately."

Benson's Best

bluesdoc05 | 07/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...It opens with the classic "Take Five" and Benson's playing is top notch throughout. This is one of his last recordings before Benson mellowed out and becameg more of a singer than a great guitar player."

More Vintage Benson

Olukayode Balogun | Leeds, England | 07/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1974, this is another classic George Benson album from the same era and in the same vein, as Beyond the Blue Horizon, which I reviewed recently. Producer Creed Taylor has once again barred Benson from singing so we've got an hour or so of pure jazz guitar.



I got the CD mainly for "Take Five", the Paul Desmond tune made popular by Dave Brubeck and for "Full Compass", which is another very unusual but satisfying composition written by Phil Upchuch. I've had both tunes on cassette for years and have always loved them. But since getting this CD, I've now also grown to love "My Latin Brother", one of Benson's own compositions and "No Sooner Said Than Done" (also written by Upchurch), with its cool sound effects. I can't quite work out if the effects are connected to the guitar or to the keys but they make the song much more interesting to listen to. Benson is backed by a solid rhythm section as is always the case with Creed Taylor productions - including Rob Carter on bass and Steve Gadd on drums - but most notable on this album are Kenny Barron on piano and Upchurch on rhythm guitar, (and on electric bass on "Full Compass" and percussion on "My Latin Brother" and "Serbian Blue"). The orchestration is arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky.



The three "New Mix" bonus tracks were apparently recorded as part of the same session but timing restrictions imposed by the old LP format meant they couldn't be included. I have mixed views on them. Take "The "A" Train" doesn't really do anything for me and to be frank, the damned whistle gets on my nerves. "Serbian Blue" is the killer track. A Don Sebesky composition and over 13 mins long, to me it goes many places and says many things. As for the closer, "From Now On" (which has Benson playing solo guitar) all I can say is that I sorely wish it were a bit longer. At only 2mins 20 secs, just when I'm really getting into it, it's all over.



Ah, well. It's still a very enjoyable CD. Not quite up there with "Beyond The Blue Horizon" but a definitive five star set nonetheless



PS. Another cool route to some good value vintage George Benson is via the "Compact Jazz" series from Verve. They've got a full roster; from Count Basie to Stan Getz to Gerry Mulligan to Sarah Vaughan. I recently picked up two Wes Montgomery CDs from the collection, one by Dinah Washington and Compact Jazz: George Benson. It features songs from Benson's earlier work like the 1967 album "Giblet Gravy" among others and features guest artistes like Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham and Jimmy Smith. Well worth a look."