George Benson – Body Talk (CTI, 1973)

George Benson (g); Jon Faddis (tr); John Gatchall (tr); Waymon Reed (tr); Frank Foster (ts); Gerald Chamberlain (tb); Dick Griffin (tb); Earl Klugh (g); Harold Mabern (el p); Ron Carter (b); Gary King (el b); Jack DeJohnette (d); Mobutu (perc); Pee Wee Ellis (arr, cond)

Recorded on July 17, 1973


My father was a George Benson fan, so I grew up listening to his records.  I still associate Benson's Weekend in L.A. (Warner Brothers, 1978) with my dad, and I could have easily chosen that double-album for this survey.  

On the other hand, it seems like the critical consensus choice would have been Beyond the Blue Horizon (CTI, 1971), Benson's first LP on Creed Taylor's label.  It's another excellent outing.

But I've selected Body Talk.  One reason: I love Pee Wee Ellis' arrangements.  They capture something of Benson's swaggering, lyrical toughness.  And they're not too heavy; they add some soulful heft without weighing down the music.

Benson of course plays beautifully.  And, given the players in the rhythm section, it's no surprise that the music both grooves and swings like mad.