George Benson more than earns the title on this one – given that most of the tracks feature backings from the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster – a great ensemble who really help keep things soulful throughout! Despite the date of the set, the feel here is a bit more classic than most of Benson's work from the time – as the group bring a full acoustic soul to the record – a swelling, swaying brace of horns that seems to push George's vocals a bit more than usual – past that simply sweet style that was the usual Benson bag. There's a range and depth here that's really surprising – a quality that goes past the hokey title, which might make you expect less from the record – and although there's a few brief moments that get slightly contemporary, these pass quickly in favor of a classic groove. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Without A Song", "Ready Now That You Are", "Basie's Bag", "Skylark", and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing". CD

A sweet 70s collection of late 60s work from George Benson – tracks recorded in 1968 for Verve, originally from the albums Giblet Gravy and Goodies! The set list here really does a great job of picking out the best numbers – the kind of clean, lean tunes that were pushing Benson from his soul jazz roots towards a much bigger audience – yet still without any of the commerciality of later years to come. Players on the tracks include Herbie Hancock on piano, Billy Cobham on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and Johnny Pacheco on percussion – and arrangements are by Horace Ott and Tom McIntosh. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "Low Down & Dirty", "Thunder Walk", "Doobie Doobie Blues", "What's New", and "I Remember Wes". LP, Vinyl record album

A super huge hit for George – the record that took him from being a funky jazz guitarist into an R&B superstar! The album features George playing and singing over arrangements by Claus Ogerman – some of Ogerman's best of the 70s, ones that mix together his trademark pillow of sound with a slightly funky bounce. The result is incredible – and the album is filled with loads of great songs – including George's excellent version of Bobby Womack's "Breezin", the hit version of "This Masquerade", and the cuts "So This Is Love", "Six To Four", and "Affirmation". CD

Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks. He is joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald. Claus Ogerman arranged and conducted the orchestra. Tracks include "Nature Boy", Foster's "The Wind & I", "The World Is A Ghetto", "Gonna Love You More", Donny Hathaway's "Valdez In The Country", and "Everything Must Change". CD

Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks. He is joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald. Claus Ogerman arranged and conducted the orchestra. Tracks include "Nature Boy", Foster's "The Wind & I", "The World Is A Ghetto", "Gonna Love You More", Donny Hathaway's "Valdez In The Country", and "Everything Must Happen". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly jazzy soul from George Benson – a key classic from his great run at Warner Brothers Records, and the kind of record that George did better than anyone else at the time! Back in the 60s, we'd never have guessed that Benson's sweetly crackling vocals would dominate popular jazz more than his great guitar work – but hearing George here, it's clear that his soul work could easily outshine his guitar, especially when set up in a package like this! Atlantic soul maestro Arif Mardin produced, and as with his Chaka Khan productions for Warner at the time, he gives Benson a clean, clear modern style that's certainly pop, but also a lot less cluttered and clunky than modes used with other artists at the time. George is mostly on the vocal tip for the set, and Kashif helps out on one track – no surprise, given that Kashif was soon to walk down the path that Benson had started with his first few vocal albums in the 70s. Titles include "Love Will Come Again", "Use Me", "Late At Night", "In Search Of A Dream", "Lady Love Me", "In Your Eyes", and "Never Too Far To Fall". CD

Includes "Hey Girl", "Nassau Day", "Livin Inside Your Love", "Welcome Into My World", "Before You Go", "Unchained Melody", "Love Ballad", "Prelude To Fall", and "Soulful Strut". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson sings with almost as much vocal intensity on his own as Sam & Dave brought to the original – followed by a tight solo that really matches the funky 70s vibe of the arrangements. Next are four more tracks from the Carnegie Hall sessions – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Sky Dive", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". CD

Titles include "Ode To A Kudu", "We As Love", "Lady Blue", "Windsong", "Weekend In LA", "It's All In The Game", and his classic take on "On Broadway". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the moodiest sessions on CTI from the early days – and a landmark album that took George Benson from the funky jazz scene into the upper reaches of 70s jazz. The record was put together by Don Sebesky, and it's a lot more high concept than some of George's earlier work – and proof that he was a totally great player who just needed a push in the right direction to find his own vibe. Other players include Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, and Airto – and titles include "California Dreaming", "El Mar", "White Rabbit", and "Little Train". CD

Includes "Love For Sale", "All Blues", "Oleo", and "Lil' Darlin'". CD

Pretty mellow stuff from George Benson, but with some nice moments! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements for this set of larger backings – but Benson's guitar is right out front, hitting some super-dope lines at the best moments, stretching out from the warm Fender Rhodes or horn heavy backings. Highlights include "No Sooner Said Than Done", which has some very weird processing on the guitar; "Full Compass", which has some nice hard drums; and "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams", a mellow moody track. LP, Vinyl record album

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar, laying down some smooth vocals that we never would have imagined from his mid 60s recordings. Includes the massive hit "Give Me The Night", a cover of "Moody's Mood", and the tracks "Star Of A Story (X)", "Midnight Love Affair", "What's On Your Mind", and "Dinorah, Dinorah". The sound of a million supermarkets and elevators during the 80s! CD

Unusual work from the great George Benson – a wonderful session that was recorded by CTI during George's classic years for the label – but issued only briefly a number of years later, and slightly lost amongst the rest of his catalog! The material's great, though – and has George in top form for the sweet 70s funk years – working with arrangements by Ronnie Foster and David Matthews – on tunes that also include keyboards by Foster and Bobby Lyle, trombone from Fred Wesley, saxes from David Sanborn, Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker, and Ronnie Cuber – and even a bit of additional guitar from Eric Gale! There's a nice mix of modes here – some tight funky cuts, some more flowing numbers, and even one more traditional jazz tune with a great vocal by George – on the classic "Moody's Mood For Love". Other titles include "Melodia Espanol", "Pacific Fire", "Em", "Bandoleros Caballa", "Let Your Love Come Out", and "Knock On Wood". CD

Titles include "Beyond The Sea", "No One Emotion", "Please Don't Walk Away", "New Day", "Hold Me", "Stand Up", and "You Are The Love Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Wild and mysterious stuff! This album is sort of a repackaged version of the legendary Harlem Underground album – a great lost funk album from the mid-70s that listed George Benson as a player in the group, but one that Benson claims that he never played on! The time of this release coincided with Benson's big hit years in the 70s – so the package is a bit of a cash-in project – but the grooves here are a lot harder-hitting than anything George recorded for Warner or Columbia – really gritty funk that's totally great throughout! Other players include Dave Baby Cortez on organ, Reuben Wilson on keyboards, and Willis Jackson on tenor – and Ann Winley sings on one track, the great "Fed Up", which has a really bad-rapping feel! Other titles include the classic break track "Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba" – plus a few smokin' organ/guitar wailers, like "Loose Joints" and "Overture Erotic", both of which are nice enough to warrant this separate release! Other tracks include "Erotic Moods" and "Sweet Taste Of Love". CD

An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson sings with almost as much vocal intensity on his own as Sam & Dave brought to the original – followed by a tight solo that really matches the funky 70s vibe of the arrangements. Next are four more tracks from the Carnegie Hall sessions – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Sky Dive", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Two early gems from guitarist Larry Carlton – back to back on a single CD! First up is the Uni album With A Little Help From My Friends – pre-fusion, and done at a time when a whole generation of guitarists were trying to find a way forward – and experimenting in a number of different formats! The vibe here is maybe like some of the Wes Montgomery or George Benson Verve or CTI records of the late 60s – really chromatic guitar lines that carve out a beautiful lead over some arrangements that are fuller than a combo, but never overdone – arranged by Foster Wakefield, who we don't know at all – but with the tasteful spaciousness of a Claus Ogerman or a Don Sebesky! Larry sounds great on the record – really working out some lines that are quite different than a jazz guitarist might have sounded a few years before – and strongly pointing the way to his future. Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Don't You Care", "Mac Arthur Park", "Odd Couple", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Monday Monday". Next is Singing/Playing, and the title's no lie – as Larry Carlton steps out in a warmly-produced session that's got a really sweet LA studio vibe – one that mixes together early fusion backings and compressed vocalizations – in a way that maybe makes the whole thing feel like an overlooked A&M Records gem from the Nick DeCaro years! Larry's got this easygoing vocal style that's very down to earth, and set up in these sweet arrangements directed by Stewart Levine – soulful, jazzy, and with occasional currents of funk – and with some great keyboard touches from MIchael Omartin next to Larry's guitar and vocals. Titles include the great "American Family", plus "Wavin & Smilin", "Easy Evil", "Free Way", "Captain Captain", and "With Respect To Coltrane". CD

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Jimmy McGriff on organ with George Benson, Wayne Boyd, Cornell Dupree, Vance James, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Ponder, Billy Preston & Bernard Purdie. CD

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This first volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "First Light", "California Dreaming" and a medley of "Inner City Blues" and "What's Going On". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This second volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Blues Force", "Rock Steady", "People Make The World Go Round" and a medley of "Ithe From Love Story", "Pavane" and "Fire & Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This third volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Funkfathers", "Cherry", "Bowl Full Of Blues", "Cherry Red" and "God Bless The Child". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set that spans the gamut of Miles' work on Columbia – from his early hardbop sides to his later experimental ones! All of the material on the 2LP set was unreleased until the time of this release in 1979 – and the album features Miles in the company of a wide variety of players that include George Benson, Cannonball Adderley, Bennie Maupin, Hank Mobley, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Red Garland, and Joe Beck. Titles include "Teo's Bag", "Side Car (1 & 2)", "Sanctuary", "Guinnevere", "Circle In The Round", and "Two Bass Hit". CD

The second album of funky fusion from this all-star CTI group that included Stanley Turrentine, Stanley Clarke, Ndugu, Tom Brown, Eric Gale, Ronnie Foster, and George Benson! The ensemble come together for a great set of laidback fusion tracks that groove with a nice soulful undercurrent – surprisingly fresh, and not nearly as slick as you'd expect from the date of the session – showing that the original open-ended CTI vibe could still be strongly alive on the right records! Tracks have a great mix of acoustic and electric touches – and although Stanley Clarke was the musical director of the album, the whole thing's clearly a group effort. Titles include "Silk", "Hot Fire", "Sunwalk", and "In Celebration Of The Human Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album – and for good reason too – a set that's as mysterious as it is funky, and a record that's stayed at the top of our crates for years! The album features a really unusual collective of musicians, pulled together under the guidance of producer Paul Winley – a group that features George Benson on guitar, Dave Baby Cortez on organ, Willis Jackson on tenor sax, and Earl Williams on some massively funky drums! The music's a mix of funky jazz and gritty soul – put together with some really weird studio touches – including an uncredited male voice that comes in and out of the tracks, bad-rapping along with some very hip commentary. Ann Winley sings the female vocals on the set – often egged on by the dude – but the real charm of the record lies at the bottom – the wicked drums, funky basslines, and choppy instrumental bits that have gotten the set sampled plenty over the years. Titles include the classic "Smokin Cheeba Cheeba" alone, the groovy "Finger In It", a great breakbeat version of "Ain't No Sunshine" with a tenor solo by Willis Jackson, and the slow bluesy talking cut "Fed Up", a baaaad rap about a couple splitting up – done here in both vocal and instrumental versions. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album – and for good reason too – a set that's as mysterious as it is funky, and a record that's stayed at the top of our crates for years! The album features a really unusual collective of musicians, pulled together under the guidance of producer Paul Winley – a group that features George Benson on guitar, Dave Baby Cortez on organ, Willis Jackson on tenor sax, and Earl Williams on some massively funky drums! The music's a mix of funky jazz and gritty soul – put together with some really weird studio touches – including an uncredited male voice that comes in and out of the tracks, bad-rapping along with some very hip commentary. Ann Winley sings the female vocals on the set – often egged on by the dude – but the real charm of the record lies at the bottom – the wicked drums, funky basslines, and choppy instrumental bits that have gotten the set sampled plenty over the years. Titles include the classic "Smokin Cheeba Cheeba" alone, the groovy "Finger In It", a great breakbeat version of "Ain't No Sunshine" with a tenor solo by Willis Jackson, and the slow bluesy talking cut "Fed Up", a baaaad rap about a couple splitting up – done here in both vocal and instrumental versions. CD

With Stanley Turrentine or Ralph Moore on tenor, George Benson on guitar, and Larry Willis on electric piano. Titles include "Battlescar Galorica", "Saint's Homecoming Song", "Melting Pot", and "Life Flight". CD

Edited versions from Hubbard's "Life Flight", Newton's "Romance & Revolution", and Petrucciani's "Power Of Three" albums, featuring George Benson and Stanley Turrentine on the Hubbard tracks. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A truly fantastic record, and one that's become the stuff of legend over the years – a rare CTI album that was only ever issued in Japan – and which may well be one of the coolest sessions recorded during the A&M years of the label! Trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding had recorded two other records for CTI during the period – both great – but this set has them stretching out in this really expansive mode that's completely unique – long tracks put together with complicated arrangements that really blow away anything else they ever did – funky, soulful, but also moving towards higher ideals too – a fantastic testament to the newfound arranging skills of Johnson, who handled most of the record. The group also features some amazing keyboard work from both Herbie Hancock and Bob James – who get plenty of room to roam – plus guitar from George Benson, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Grady Tate – a superb lineup who really make the whole thing shine. The depth of this music is hard to describe in words, but the whole thing's wonderful – and the set features just four long tracks – "Dontcha Hear Me Callin To Ya", "Musings", "Mojo", and "Recollections". (Note: This item is not for sale online until noon on Saturday, October 24. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day Drops rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, October 24. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after noon on October 24 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

One of Hubert Laws' funkiest records for CTI – recorded with a full group funky style that's plenty darn great, and a lot harder-hitting than some of Hubert's more laidback sessions for the label! Arrangements are by Bob James and Laws – working here with a large batch of players who come together beautifully, almost in the style of a funky 70s cop show soundtrack! James plays keyboards, and other players include George Benson, Phil Upchurch, Stanley Clarke, Randy Brecker, Don Grolnick, and Ron Carter – on titles that include James' own "Chicago Theme", a great cover of "Midnight At The Oasis" with wonderful drums from Steve Gadd, who also kicks it nice and large on Laws' own "I Had A Dream". Other tracks include "Going Home", "I Had A Dream", and "Inflation Chaser". CD

A killer, and one of three live sides McDuff cut for Prestige during the 60s – a monster session of stretched-out jazzy grooves, with many fine little dancers, and a raw soulful feel throughout! The group's one of Jack's best – as Red Holloway's tenor blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major guitar gig – and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes scatter across the place, taking the whole band into some incredible rhythms! Titles include cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba", "Undecided", and "A Real Goodun'". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of long jazzy grooves by Brother Jack McDuff – and one that has him really breaking past the tighter style of early years, into the long complicated modal style that graced his best later work. The material was most likely recorded earlier than the record's 1968 release date – by 2 different groups with classic McDuff bandmates, like George Benson, Harold Vick, Red Holloway, and Joe Dukes. Includes the massive "Lew's Piece", plus versions of "More" and "Opus de Funk" that are both very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soulful lines from guitarist Jimmy Ponder – working here in a warm set of bigger backings that almost give the record the same feel as classic late 60s outings from Wes Montgomery, or some of the CTI work by George Benson! Backings are put together by Brad Baker – in that same great mix of jazz and soul he used with his B Baker Chocolate Company material – and although there's a bit of chorus vocals on the album (sung by a group that includes Gwen Guthrie and Jocelyn Brown), the main focus is on the soulful, chromatic lines of Ponder's guitar – which have a poise and focus here that really tops some of his earlier work. The groove is pretty super-dope throughout – that great late Groove Merchant approach to funky jazz – and titles include "Love Me Right", "Chasing That Face", "A Trip To The Stars", "A Clue", and "Turn". CD

A great little small combo record that proves that Jimmy was still hitting strong in the late 60s! Although the bulk of the more famous Verve material featured Jimmy in larger settings or singing or playing pop material, there were also some nice stripped-down sides hidden in the catalog, which featured Jimmy back in his Blue Note groove from earlier days. This set's one of them – and it was recorded live at La Carousel in Atlanta, with a trio that included George Benson on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. The recording quality's not totally great, and we wonder if the set wasn't issued just to cash in on Benson's increasing fame in the late 60s – but the overall feel is very nice, and it's good to hear Jimmy still grooving in a club. Tracks are all long, and titles include "Fingers", "This Guy's In Love With You", and "The Boss". CD

A lost jazz-funk gem – originally recorded at Club Mozambique in Detroit in 1970, but not issued by Blue Note until the mid 90s! The set's right up there with Lonnie's classic Move Your Hand live set – as the tracks are long, free, and very funky, performed by a hip group that includes Joe Dukes on drums, Dave Hubbard on tenor, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and George Benson on guitar. Lonnie's organ is harder than you'll ever hear it in later years – and tracks include "Scream", "Expressions", "I Can't Stand It", "Peace Of Mind", "Love Bowl", and "Play It Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Lonnie Smith – a set that's quite different than his initial Hammond material for Blue Note – but equally excellent in its own sort of way! The album has Lonnie playing both Fender Rhodes and organ – the former with this sweet, tight groove that's mighty nice – a bit like when Johnny Hammond or Jack McDuff touched the instrument on their own albums from the 70s – with all the chunky, funky qualities learned from their solos on the Hammond. Production is by Sonny Lester, and the groups here are relatively big, which gives a bit of a blacksploitation funk to the record – but part of the record also has a leaner group with Joe Lovano on tenor, blowing some beautifully extended solos – as well as George Benson on guitar. Titles include a great ten minute take on "Impressions" – plus "Apex", "Lean Meat", "When The Night Is Right", and "It's Changed". LP, Vinyl record album

"Discerning Dancefloor" is right – as the set's one of the hippest you could ever hope to walk into in all your nights of club-hopping! The folks at BBE put this one together with a great mix of soul, funk, Latin, house, and jazz – and they took the time to include some old favorites from the London scene, some overlooked jams from recent years, and a few bubbling under cuts that fit perfectly with the rest of the package. Titles include the MAW mix of George Benson's "El Barrio", plus "The Child (K-Dope rmx)" by Alex Gopher, "Fly Away (Roy's Chitown dub)" by Children Of Planet Earth, "You've Got To Have Freedom" by Pharoah Sanders, "Fearless" by Incognito, "On The Street Where You Live" by Tito Puente, "The Truth" by Handsome Boy Modelling School, "Peer Pressure" by Pepe Bradock, "People Make The World Go Round (Slum Village mix)" by Carl Craig, "Truth Don Die" by Femi Kuti, "Jujazwarfare (Future Peace mix)" by AfterGlow, and "Got The Bug (Bettina's Mix)" by Bourgie Soliterre. Vinyl version features 12 tracks on 3 LPs! LP, Vinyl record album