George Benson

By 1989, George Benson had spent well over a decade as a major RnB star and smooth instrumentalist. So, Benson returned to mainstream jazz and cut this standards set with such heavy hitters as McCoy Tyner (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and a number of star percussionists. While Benson remains a deeply soulful vocalist with a distinct style, many of the real gems here are the instrumentals. Send any doubters of Benson's guitar wizardry to his searing readings of "Stella by Starlight" and "I Could Write a Book" and his solo recording of "Tenderly." Marty Paich supplies the orchestral charts.