George Benson - Inspiration (A Tribute To Nat King Cole) (2013)

After four years of touring and developing “An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole,” the legendary George Benson makes his most inspired album: Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole. This recording is one of the most meaningful of Benson’s career and is a testament to the spirit of Cole’s timeless body of work. Benson’s heartfelt renditions of some of Cole’s greatest songs with Nelson Riddle arrangements and the 42-piece Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra are complemented by duets with Tony Award winner Idina Menzel and rising star Judith Hill, along with a special collaboration with multi-GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.


Speaking on recording the album Benson says, “I felt every moment of it. You can’t put together a record like this without putting your heart into it. I got that from Nat King Cole. He put his heart into everything he did.”

Tracklist:

1. Mona Lisa - Lil' Georgie Benson
2. Just One Of Those Things
3. Unforgettable
4. Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
5. When I Fall In Love
6. Route 66
7. Nature Boy
8. Ballerina
9. Smile
10. Straighten Up And Fly Right
11. Too Young
12. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
13. Mona Lisa
14. Mona Lisa (Calypso Version)

Personnel:

George Benson: vocals, guitar, ukulele (1);
Randy Waldman: conductor;
The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra;
Idina Menzel: vocals (5);
Judith Hill: vocals (11);
Wynton Marsalis: trumpet (3);
Till Brönner: trumpet (9).