George Benson's sound is so recognizable that, in its way, it's quite comforting to hear his voice or his guitar come across on the radio or in a club. His recordings have been polished and extravagant in many cases, but there are those signature elements -- his relaxed delivery and silky touch on the strings and his voice, as evocative as a cool breeze floating across a hot summer night.
Songs and Stories doesn't deviate from his formula a great deal, but it doesn't have to. He's chosen ten ubiquitous pop tunes from a variety of songwriters (and one by a relatively new kid on the block), and with the help of producers
John Burk and Marcus Miller, he puts them across in fine style. The set opens with James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," with the great Brazilian guitarist
Toninho Horta on acoustic to contrast with Benson's electric. The tune simply eases down into the listener, and more than a desperate plea as it was in Taylor's case, this version is a request that offers plenty of rhythm -- courtesy of a beatbox by Butterscotch and
Paulinho Da Costa's percussion. Another standout on the set is the slow strolling version of
Bill Withers' "A Telephone Call Away," with guest vocalist Lalah Hathaway in duet,
Gerald Albright's saxophone, and Bobby Sparks II's B-3 all adding to the band's textural palette. Following it is an intimate small-group setting of a cover of "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Lalah's late father,
Donny Hathaway. Young Southern soul singer/songwriter
Marc Broussard contributes "Come in from the Cold" to the mix. Benson is accompanied by
Tom Scott on saxophones, guitarist
Jubu, Miller's bass, and Sparks' Hammond, embellished by some nice Rhodes work by
Greg Phillinganes. The reading of
Tony Joe White's "Rainy Night in Georgia" is unusual, and laden with strings, but it works because Benson doesn't try to create a definitive version of anything; he simply creates his own. There are also two fine surprises at the end of the disc: an excellent version of
Smokey Robinson's "One Like You" with a large ensemble; and a downright funky take on
Lamont Dozier's "Living in High Definition," which is sure to be a hit at contemporary jazz radio. Benson, Jubu, and
Wah Wah Watson all contribute electric guitars, with Miller playing vibes as well as laying down layers of beats atop his own string arrangements. Benson fans should have a ball with
Songs and Stories. It's consistently smooth in texture, its arrangements are elegant, and it's sequenced beautifully.
