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Good King Bad/Benson & Farrell (with bonus track)

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Two classic 70s moments from George Benson – back to back on a single set! Good King Bad is sweet 70s funk from George – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best of the CTI/Kudu generation – including Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Joe Farrell on flute, Fred Wesley on trombone, Eric Gale on rhythm guitar, Dave Friedman on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – who manages to kick in a nicely funky undercurrent, even on some of the mellower numbers. George's guitar is filled with warmly chromatic hues – gliding away nicely on titles that include the slow funky "Em", plus "Siberian Workout", "Shell Of A Man", "Hold On I'm Coming", "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder", and "Theme From Good King Bad". On Benson & Farrell – a collaboration with reedman Joe Farrell – Benson's going for a smoother approach than on earlier CTI albums, but the sound here is still pretty darn nice! Joe Farrell's playing mostly flute and soprano sax – a lot sweeter sounding than on some of his angular funk classics from a few years back, but in a way that flows nicely with Benson's guitar – tied together here by the arrangements of David Matthews, who's at the prime of his smooth funk jazz scoring. Titles include "Old Devil Moon", "Camel Hump", "Flute Song", and "Beyond The Ozone".  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.