Absolute Benson

Absolute Benson
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 23, 2000
Genre
Length48:36
Label
Producer
George Benson chronology
Standing Together
(1998)
Absolute Benson
(2000)
Irreplaceable
(2003)
Singles from Standing Together
  1. "The Ghetto"
    Released: 2000

Absolute Benson is an enhanced studio album by American jazz musician George Benson. It was released by GRP and Verve Records on May 23, 2000 in the United States. Taking a tip from 1999's pop-man-of-the-year Carlos Santana, Benson goes Latin on this release.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann that Absolute Benson "is another in a series of consistently excellent CDs that characterize it [...] If it is difficult to crossover from jazz to pop, crossing back can be just as treacherous. Benson's oldest fans, who later became his detractors, still may not be satisfied with his current approach, but it has deservedly won him a secure place in contemporary jazz."[1]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Ghetto"4:56
2."El Barrio"
3:34
3."Jazzenco"Marc Antoine5:48
4."Deeper Than You Think"Joe Sample5:55
5."One on One"Joe Sample7:05
6."Hipping the Hop"Joe Sample3:57
7."Lately"
4:22
8."Come Back Baby"5:59
9."Medicine Man"
  • George Benson
  • Joe Sample
7:00

Personnel and credits

[edit]

Musicians

Production

  • Producers – Tommy LiPuma (Tracks 1, 3–9); "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez (Track 2).
  • Recording Engineers – Steven Barkan and Jon Fausty (Tracks 1 & 2); Al Schmitt (Tracks 3–9).
  • Assistant Engineers – Koji Egawa; Kayo Teramoto (Tracks 1 & 2); Mark Fraunfelder, Alan Moon and Aya Takemura (Tracks 3–9).
  • Overdubs on Tracks 3–9 recorded by Bill Schnee and Tommy Tucker, assisted by Elliot Scheiner and Al Schmitt.
  • Strings on Track 7 recorded by James Farber
  • Mixing – Steven Barkan (Tracks 1 & 2); Bill Schnee (Tracks 3–9).
  • Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, CA).
  • Art Direction – Hollis King
  • Photography – Jeffrey Scales and Kwaku Alston
  • Graphic Design – Isabelle Wong

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2000) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[2] 77
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[3] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] 24
US Billboard 200[5] 125

References

[edit]