| The Essential George Benson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | March 28, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | June 5, 1963 - August 11, 1980 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 2:27:38 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| George Benson chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Essential George Benson is a compilation album by American jazz musician George Benson, released in 2006 as a double-disc, 21-track career-spanning anthology.[1] It is part of Sony BMG's Essential series of compilation albums.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| PopMatters |   [3] |
Jazz Times refers to the album as "an extraordinary musician by any standard, Benson comes close to redeeming some horribly dated CTI material, including 'White Rabbit', a landmark in schlock. There are also highlights from other key players-don’t miss Kenny Barron’s Rhodes solo on the 1974 Don Sebesky arrangement of 'Take Five.' Write off the R&B tracks if you must, but they’re flawlessly realized. 'This Masquerade' is a model of pure, economical soul singing. 'On Broadway' appears in a 10-minute live version."[4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock Candy" (featuring Jack McDuff) | Jack McDuff | Rock Candy (1972) | 6:12 |
| 2. | "Shadow Dancers" | George Benson | The New Boss Guitar of George Benson (1964) | 4:45 |
| 3. | "Clockwise" | George Benson | It's Uptown (1966) | 4:28 |
| 4. | "Willow Weep for Me" | Ann Ronell | It's Uptown (1966) | 7:48 |
| 5. | "A Foggy Day" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | It's Uptown (1966) | 2:39 |
| 6. | "The Borgia Stick" | George Benson | The George Benson Cookbook (1967) | 3:09 |
| 7. | "Paraphernalia" (featuring Miles Davis) | Wayne Shorter | Miles in the Sky (1968) | 12:38 |
| 8. | "Sugar" (featuring Stanley Turrentine) | Stanley Turrentine | Sugar (1970) | 10:05 |
| 9. | "So What" | Miles Davis | Beyond the Blue Horizon (1971) | 9:19 |
| 10. | "Ode to a Kudu" | George Benson | Beyond the Blue Horizon (1971) | 4:41 |
| 11. | "California Dreaming" | John Phillips, Michelle Phillips | White Rabbit (1972) | 7:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "White Rabbit" | Grace Slick | White Rabbit (1972) | 6:56 |
| 2. | "Body Talk" | George Benson | Body Talk (1973) | 8:22 |
| 3. | "Take Five" | Paul Desmond | Bad Benson (1974) | 7:07 |
| 4. | "Summertime" (Live) | George Gershwin | In Concert-Carnegie Hall (1976) | 6:05 |
| 5. | "Breezin'" | Bobby Womack | Breezin' (1976) | 5:21 |
| 6. | "This Masquerade" | Leon Russell | Breezin' (1976) | 8:04 |
| 7. | "On Broadway" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | Weekend in L.A. (1978) | 10:10 |
| 8. | "Give Me the Night" | Rod Temperton | Give Me the Night (1980) | 5:02 |
| 9. | "Hip Skip" (featuring Tony Williams) | George Benson | The Joy of Flying (1978) | 8:07 |
| 10. | "Gotham City" (featuring Dexter Gordon) | Dexter Gordon | Gotham City (1980) | 9:19 |
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | March 28, 2006 | Columbia Records, Legacy Records[5][6] | CD | 118065/2005330 |
