GEORGE BENSON – 5 ORIGINAL ALBUMS (THAT’S RIGHT / STANDING
TOGETHER / ABSOLUTE BENSON / IRREPLACEABLE / LIVE)
George Benson may have hit his greatest fame in the 70s, but
the guitarist kept on making wonderful work for many many years – as you'll
hear in this excellent collection of albums from the end of the 90s! The albums
here show that, even during a time when so many younger musicians were working
under inspiration from his efforts, the man himself was still always a cut
above – playing in a soulful style, but never too smooth – and always able to
bring in a chromatic solo that reminded us of his tremendous skills. At the
time of these records, even though we were slavish devotees of Benson's
classics, we still really found ourselves impressed – and all these many years
later, we're even more so – and expect you will be to. The set features five
full albums, each in small LP-styled sleeves – the studio sets That's Right,
Standing Together, Absolute Benson, and Irreplaceable – and a great Live best
of set from 2005. ~ Dusty Groove
THE CRUSADERS – 5 ORIGINAL ALBUMS (CHAIN REACTION / THOSE
SOUTHERN NIGHTS / FREE AS THE WIND / IMAGES / STREET LIFE)
A document of an incredible shift in style for the Crusaders
– and one that helped them soar even higher in the jazz funk stratosphere! By
the time of these albums, the group had changed significantly from their
youthful days as the Jazz Crusaders – mostly a trio, with Joe Sample on
keyboards, Wilton Felder on saxes, and Stix Hooper on drums – but often
augmented by some of the best studio help they could find, and working at a
level that was still razor-sharp, and incredibly soulful! So many other artists
mixed jazz and soul together in the 70s, but a rare few could do it this right
– and still hold onto all the bite that the artists had in their earlier days.
Production is tight, but never too slick – no 80s smooth jazz modes here – and
there's a sense of groove balanced with a sense of soloing that's really
wonderful! All five albums are impeccable – to jazz what Steely Dan was to
mainstream rock at the time (and we mean that in the best way possible!) – and
as you'll hear with some slight inclusion of vocals (most famously by Randy
Crawford on Street Life), these guys also found a way to win whole new
audiences to jazz from the world of soul too. A great package – with all five
albums in little tiny LP-styled covers! ~
Dusty Groove
CHUCK MANGIONE – 5 ORIGINAL ALBUMS (CHASE THE CLOUDS AWAY /
MAIN SQUEEZE / FEELS SO GOOD / FUN & GAMES / 70 MILES YOUNG)
Five full albums from a time when jazzman Chuck Mangione was
at the height of his powers – all served up here in one package, with tiny
LP-styled covers for each CD! Most of these records were instant hits for
Mangione, and for good reason too – as Chuck's got a way of balancing the sweet
and the soulful here nicely – drifting along with the rhythms, so that all the
most rounded, open notes of his horn cascade out warmly – yet never in the sort
of too-polished mode that would show up later in mainstream fusion. From the
perspective of the 21st Century, it's surprising how strongly creative these
records sound – especially when some sonic surprises come into the mix, or
Chuck stretches things out in unusual says – such as on the long title track of
the final album. A great way to bring all these albums together – which sound
even stronger as a whole than on their own!
~ Dusty Groove
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