Top Picks
George Benson: Giblet Gravy, Verve. The quartet tracks with Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Billy Cobham, drums, are alone worth the price of this recording.
George Benson Quartet: Live at Casa Caribe, Columbia River. Mickey Tucker, piano; George Duvivier, bass; single discs of this engagement have been released on the Bianco, Elap, Jazz Hour, Performax, and Prestige Elite labels among others.
Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life, Columbia. Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums
Superior
George Benson: Beyond the Blue Horizon, Columbia/Legacy. Ron Carter, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums
Lee Morgan Sextet: Taru, Blue Note. John Hicks, piano; Reggie Workman, bass
Jimmy Smith Quintet: Off the Top, Elektra. Stanley Turrentine, tenor sax; Ron Carter, bass; Grady Tate, drums
Excellent
George Benson
In Concert: Carnegie Hall, CTI. Hubert Laws, flute
Tenderly, Warner Brothers. McCoy Tyner, piano; Ron Carter, bass
George Benson Sextet: The New Boss Guitar of George Benson, OJC/Prestige. Jack McDuff, organ; Red Holloway, tenor sax
Red Holloway: Cooking Together, OJC/Prestige. Jack McDuff, organ, piano
Jack McDuff: Brother Jack McDuff Live!, OJC/Prestige. Red Holloway, tenor sax
Questionable
The Benson recordings in this category are too numerous to list, but I don’t consider them questionable because of a lack of musicality. The problem simply is their commercial focus and whether they should, in fact, be considered jazz. Listeners will have to make such a determination for themselves.