George Benson - Bad Benson (1974) Part 1 (Full Album)

Track List: 1-3

1. George Benson - Take Five (0:00)
2. George Benson - Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (7:10)
3. George Benson - My Latin Brother (10:10)

Part 1.    • George Benson - Bad Benson (1974) Part 1 (...  
Part 2.    • George Benson - Bad Benson (1974) Part 2 (...  

'Bad Benson' Allmusic Review by Thom Jurek:
Preceding Breezin', his crossover smash for Warner in 1976, Bad Benson shows the guitarist still hanging on to his Wes Montgomery roots in places while stretching his soul-jazz persona into even funkier arenas. CTI had a formula for making funky, accessible jazz and fusion records that in 1974 still held true. Arranged by Don Sebesky, Bad Benson is a collection of delicious, varied, and sometimes confusing choices. Benson's own playing is precise and smooth as always, and guitarist Phil Upchurch keeps a large color palette for him to draw from, as in the funkified version of "Take Five." Other notables are the stellar "My Latin Brother," which begins as a Debussy-ian impressionistic string study before becoming a heavily arpeggiated variation on the samba. Kenny Barron's pianism here is the driving force behind a rhythm section that also includes drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Ron Carter. They give Benson a harmonic floor for one of the most inspiring solos of his career. These intensely meaty cuts -- along with Upchurch's stellar swinging in the pocket groover "Full Compass" -- are juxtaposed against ballads such as "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" and "The Changing World," a pair of ballads that ape Montgomery's later snore-fest session for A&M. Not a great album, but a very, very good one.

Personnel:
George Benson – guitar
Phil Upchurch – guitar, percussion (3), electric bass (5)
Kenny Barron – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Steve Gadd – drums
Garnett Brown, Warren Covington, Wayne Andre – trombone
Paul Faulise – bass trombone
Alan Rubin, Joe Shepley, John Frosk – trumpet
Phil Bodner – English horn, clarinet, alto flute
George Marge – English horn, flute, piccolo flute
Ray Beckenstein - flute
Al Regni - flute, clarinet
Brooks Tillotson, Jim Buffington – French horn
Margaret Ross – harp
Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, Frank Levy, Jesse Levy, Paul Tobias, Seymour Barab – cello
Don Sebesky – arrangements and conductor

Production:
Creed Taylor – producer
Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, mastering (4-6)
Bob Ciano – album's design
Ben Rose – cover photography
Pete Turner – liner photography
Phil Upchurch – musical conception (1)