Breezin'

by George Benson

Overview

All of a sudden, George Benson became a pop superstar with this album, thanks to its least representative track. Most of Breezin' is a softer-focused variation of Benson's R&B/jazz-flavored CTI work, his guitar as assured and fluid as ever with Claus Ogerman providing the suave orchestral backdrops and his crack then-working band (including Ronnie Foster on keyboards and sparkplug Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar) pumping up the funk element. Yet it is the sole vocal track (his first in many years), Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" -- where George unveiled his new trademark, scatting along with a single-string guitar solo -- that reached number ten on the pop singles chart and drove the album all the way to number one on the pop (!) LP chart. The attractive title track also became a minor hit single, although Gabor Szabo's 1971 recording with composer Bobby Womack is even more fetching. In the greater scheme of Benson's career, Breezin' is really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Product Details

Release Date:	08/12/2016
Label:	Imports
UPC:	0081227944353

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Benson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Lead Guitar
Stanley Banks   Primary Artist,Bass
Phil Upchurch   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Rhythm)
Ronnie Foster   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Piano,Soloist,Keyboards,Mini Moog,Moog Synthesizer,Piano (Electric)
Tommy LiPuma   Primary Artist
Harvey Mason, Sr.   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Drums
Al Schmitt   Primary Artist
Jorge Dalto   Guest Artist,Piano,Soloist,Clavinet,Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
Claus Ogerman   Conductor
Ralph MacDonald   Percussion

Technical Credits

Al Schmitt   Engineer,Mixing,Producer
Bobby Womack   Composer
Bill Inglot   Stereo Master
Claus Ogerman   Arranger,Orchestration
Gale Garnett   Composer
Doug Sax   Mastering
George Benson   Composer
Jose Feliciano   Composer
Phil Upchurch   Composer
Ronnie Foster   Composer
Tommy LiPuma   Producer
Al Young   Liner Notes
Steve Genewick   Assistant Engineer
Lalo Schifrin   Composer
David McLees   Producer
Leon Russell   Composer
Don Henderson   Assistant Engineer
Dennis Turner   Management
Noel Newbolt   Assistant Producer,Associate Producer,Production Assistant
Mario Casilli   Photography
Ed Thrasher   Art Direction
Daniel Hersch   Stereo Master
Peter Palombi   Design