Released in 2010 on Concord Records, 6 String Theory is a monumental celebration of the electric and acoustic guitar organized by legendary jazz-fusion maestro Lee Ritenour. Celebrating 50 years of playing the instrument, Ritenour assembled an incredible cross-genre line-up of world-class guitar virtuosos spanning jazz, blues, rock, acoustic, and classical traditions. Highlights include blistering electric duels and collaborations with B.B. King, George Benson, John Scofield, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Cray, Slash, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Mike Stern, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', and Guthrie Govan. Blending blues standards, jazz fusion jams, pop reinventions, and intricate acoustic showcases, this album is a masterclass in guitar craftsmanship and a definitive tribute to six-string artistry.

Released in 2010 on Concord Records, 6 String Theory is a monumental celebration of the electric and acoustic guitar organized by legendary jazz-fusion maestro Lee Ritenour. Celebrating 50 years of playing the instrument, Ritenour assembled an incredible cross-genre line-up of world-class guitar virtuosos spanning jazz, blues, rock, acoustic, and classical traditions. Highlights include blistering electric duels and collaborations with B.B. King, George Benson, John Scofield, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Cray, Slash, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Mike Stern, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', and Guthrie Govan. Blending blues standards, jazz fusion jams, pop reinventions, and intricate acoustic showcases, this album is a masterclass in guitar craftsmanship and a definitive tribute to six-string artistry.

The Guitar genius of George Benson is a dazzling studio compilation that highlights the incredible instrumental mastery and fluid improvisational phrasing of legendary American jazz guitarist George Benson, released via the QED label in 1996. Before achieving massive international crossover success as a pop-vocal superstar, Benson was widely revered as one of the premier post-bop and soul-jazz guitar virtuosos of his generation, deeply influenced by Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery. This exceptional archive captures him handling an array of timeless jazz standards, blues patterns, and hard bop staples with incredible dexterity, speed, and signature rhythmic swing. The tracklist includes brilliant, guitar-driven readings of Cole Porter's Love For Sale, Miles Davis's modal classic All Blues, and Sonny Rollins's lightning-fast bop anthem Oleo, alongside sultry, late-night interpretations of Witchcraft and Blue Bossa. Backed by a stellar, tightly locked rhythm section that provides a deep, swinging pocket, Benson delivers blistering single-note runs and rich chord-melody solos with pristine sonic separation. Fully remastered for an elite audiophile experience, this album remains an essential document for collectors and guitar enthusiasts seeking the pure, unfiltered essence of a true jazz master.

Blue Breakbeats is a spectacularly expressive, historically monumental, and masterfully synchronized soul-jazz and jazz-funk archival compilation masterpiece led by the legendary American alto saxophone vanguard pioneer and undisputed groove monarch Lou Donaldson, digitally preserved and released on compact disc in 1998 under the prestigious engineering banner of Blue Note Records. Spanning nearly 45 minutes of breathtakingly intense, conceptually profound instrumental interactions across 6 sprawling, long-form tracking alignments, this high-fidelity document serves as an absolute peak monument in late-1960s and early-1970s rare groove and hip-hop sampling archaeology. This highly curated collection focuses heavily on Donaldson's legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio sessions, showcasing the exact historical flashpoint where his blistering bebop roots morphed into an infectious, down-home jazz-funk framework built specifically on heavy, danceable breaks and hypnotic rhythm pockets.

George Benson's 1990 collaborative release, Big Boss Band, features the legendary Count Basie Orchestra under the sharp direction of Frank Foster, marking a triumphant return to big band traditionalism for the virtuoso guitarist and vocalist. Moving away from the heavily polished pop and contemporary R&B productions of his preceding decade, Benson dives deep into swinging jazz standards and soulful classics with immense stylistic authority. The album is a masterful showcase of vocal panache and instrumental precision, highlighted by explosive uptempo arrangements like Jackie Wilson's Baby Workout and sophisticated, lushly textured ballads such as How Do You Keep The Music Playing. Backed by the powerhouse brass sections and driving rhythm department of the definitive Basie ensemble, Benson exhibits seamless interplay, delivering brilliant, fluid archtop guitar solos that remind listeners of his profound straight-ahead jazz roots. This project successfully bridges the energetic grandeur of historic big band swing with Benson's signature, charismatic modern flair.

George Benson's 1983 studio masterpiece, In Your Eyes, represents a high-water mark for the sophisticated crossover jazz and contemporary R&B fusion of the early 1980s. Produced primarily by the legendary Arif Mardin, alongside a notable collaboration with Kashif on the electro-funk hit Inside Love (So Personal), the album seamlessly blends Benson's incomparable, fluid guitar soloing with polished pop sensibilities and velvety lead vocals. Driven by the massive success of infectious tracks like Lady Love Me (One More Time) and the soulful depth of the title track, the record showcases an extraordinary lineup of world-class session musicians, including Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Marcus Miller, and Chaka Khan on backing vocals. Throughout the sequence, Benson effortlessly bridges the gap between commercial adult contemporary appeal and genuine instrumental virtuosity, crafting a timeless collection of romance-tinged grooves, vibrant horn arrangements, and lush string compositions that continue to stand as a definitive statement of smooth soul-jazz excellence.

While The City Sleeps showcases George Benson’s smooth transition into the sophisticated pop-soul and funk sound of the mid-1980s. Known for his exceptional guitar skills and warm vocal delivery, Benson blends polished production with groove-oriented arrangements, creating an album that feels both contemporary for its time and timeless in its appeal. The record leans heavily into silky R&B textures, danceable disco rhythms, and melodic hooks that highlight his crossover success during this era. Tracks are driven by lush synthesizers, crisp drum programming, and expressive guitar work that never overshadows the vocal performances. The overall atmosphere is relaxed yet refined, perfect for late-night listening or urban-inspired moods. While more commercially oriented than his earlier jazz work, the album still retains his signature musicality, making it an essential listen for fans of 80s soul and funk.

Just three weeks after the U.S. release of the Beatles' swan song, Abbey Road, Creed Taylor ushered George Benson into the studio to begin a remarkably successful pop-jazz translation of the record (complete with a parody of the famous cover, showing Benson with guitar crossing an Eastern urban street). It is a lyrical album, with a hint of the mystery and a lot of the cohesive concept of the Beatles' original despite the scrambled order of the tunes. Benson is given some room to stretch out on guitar, sometimes in a bluesy groove, and there are more samples of his honeyed vocals than ever before (oddly, his voice would not be heard again by record-buyers until he signed with Warner Bros.). Don Sebesky's arrangements roam freely from baroque strings to a full-throated big band, and Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Fortune, and Hubert Laws get some worthy solo space…

A few decades ago, when the release of a George Benson album was an event for either jazz guitar or R&B vocal enthusiasts, his projects indeed lived up to the album title he employs here. While this collection probably won't be an essential part of the Benson enthusiast's library, it's fun to see him trying to stay in the post-millennial urban groove hip with some of the younger generation's top songwriter/producers like Joshua Thompson (who's produced for O-Town, Aretha Franklin, and Babyface) and Joe. Those who wish he'd remember his prowess as a jazz guitarist have to content themselves with its general background capacity behind pleasant romantic vocal textures and easy grooving hip-hop shuffle grooves. Fortunately, Benson's in particularly fine voice, and most of the hooks are catchy from the get go…

Trying to shake things up, producer Creed Taylor brought in arranger Marty Sheller from Mongo Santamaria's Afro-Cuban band, reduced the sizes of the servings (no track is longer than 3:50), cranked up the decibels to a raucous level, and presented Benson in what he hoped would be a radio-friendly setting. The wonder is that Benson manages to transcend the blasting Latin-percussion-spiced production, the tight time limits, and all with often brilliantly tasty guitar fills and brief solos in many styles and three reverb-heavy vocals.

No, you're not in Creed Taylor country yet, but you might as well be, for many of the ingredients that would garnish Benson's albums with Taylor are already present in this often enjoyable prototype. The immediate goal was to groom Benson as the next Wes Montgomery (who was about to leave Verve) - and so he covers hit tunes of the day ("Sunny," "Along Comes Mary," "Groovin'"), playing either with a big band plus voices or a neat quintet anchored by Herbie Hancock, and the sound is contoured to give his guitar a warm mellow ambience. But the eclectic Benson is his own man, as his infectious repeated-interval rhythm trademark tells us on his self-composed title track, and despite Tom McIntosh's mostly lame arrangements, George's work is always tasty and irresistibly melodic.

Vintage George Benson vocals float over an orchestral reimagining of beloved American Standards & Soul Classics in this incredible collaboration with renowned composer and conductor, Robert Farnon. The brand new 10-track collection, once thought to be lost to history, was recently discovered in Benson's personal vaults and remastered to their original glory. With this new release, Benson also marks a musical return to the Warner Family – where he recorded such classic hits as "On Broadway" and "Breezin".