A great old school session from George Benson – and maybe one of his best albums in years! The setting of the album is just what you'd expect from the title – a tribute to the late, great Nat King Cole – with vocals by George that have an uncanny way of matching Cole's phrasing, yet which also have that warm, raspy sound we love so much from Benson – and some of his excellent scat work too! Arrangements are by Randy Waldman and Nelson Riddle – and have this classic blend of strings and jazz that works perfectly for the set – and Benson gets help from guests who include Wynton Marsalis and Til Bronner on trumpets, plus Indina Menzel and Judith Hill too. Titles include "Route 66", "Nature Boy", "Ballerina", "Smile", "Walkin My Baby Back Home", "Unforgettable", "Too Young", and "Straighten Up & Fly Right". ~ Dusty Groove
Joe McPhee plays here with a Hammond organ trio – a setting that partially gets him back to the soulful sound of his roots, but which still keeps things in the freer mode of later years too! Joe starts out the performance with some wonderful solo work on pocket trumpet – played with these offbeat notes and inventive phrasing that might only be matched by Don Cherry's work on the instrument. The drums from Steve Noble come into the mix slowly, while the Hammond from Alexander Hawkins rolls in on these bold waves of sound – almost more forceful than any organ player of the headiest 70s years – spurred on by some rolling bass from John Edwards. Hammond dominates for the rest of side one – but then Joe switches to tenor, and gets some intimate, soulful space – before the organ comes rolling into the mix again! (Nice heavy sleeve and vinyl – and limited too!) ~ Dusty Groove
A sweet set of contemporary bossa gems – all older numbers made famous by Joao Gilberto in his early days – spun out with a very fresh finish here by the Brazilian Love Affair combo! The group work in a mostly live jazz mode, with just a bit of programming on the rhythms – and the album's especially heavy on Fender Rhodes, which updates an older bossa sound nicely – amidst older-styled instrumentation on acoustic guitar, Hammond, trombone, and flute. The vocals are great – with the same raspy charm of Joao's early recordings – that very human, very honest quality that made his singing so different from other vocalists of his generation – and titles include "Rosa Morena", "Desafinado", "Voce E Eu", "O Barquinho", "Saudade Fez Um Samba", "Ho Ba La La", and "Chega De Saudade". ~ Dusty Groove
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