Search - George Benson :: Cookbook

Pinnacle of the Soul Jazz Genre ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Would you believe that about 20 years ago, they were selling this session in the 99 cent cassette tape bin at K-Mart... I'm not joking... it was a frequent find, and that's where I first heard it... and my first impression was... Wow, now there's a guy who can give Pat Martino a good run for his money ! And Jeez, this album is boppin', yet at the same time its so darn funky ! (This was at a time when EL HOMBRE was one of my favorite Jazz albums.)



I played and played and played the session, long before I got into the organ, and came to realize who Lonnie Smith was, or realize the brilliance of a Jazz guitar being coupled with by lines from a Bari Sax, and the wildly swinging significance of the "bossa rocka" rhythms... - - By the time I came to take this session for granted it was gone forgotten and out of print. Then, by the time I came to appreciate it, it was long gone and out of print.



GB at the time was a bluesy hard swinging bop guitarist, rumored to be the "next" Wes (- - at a time when everyone was desperately searching for the next Wes !) - - Fresh from boot camp with Jack McDuff The GB COOKBOOK shows him at his technical pinnacle... but all good things had to come to an end. From the begining GB said he wasn't really a guitarist and came to NY to become a singer (*while his guitar playing on this album definitely makes this sound funny, his singing, even on ALL OF ME, definitely doesn't disprove it either !) - - in the end, he'd make much better money doing the contemporary crossover Jazz thing, and not many CDs like this would follow... What a darn shame. This session is history... its gold, and now its remastered, with bonus tracks and even bonus photography.



In the end all I can say is GET IT... Its all its rumored to be and more - - and by the way, the cover happens to be one of my all time favorite Jazz covers... it definitely gets the pun across - - these cats were cookin ! ! !"

A Must Have!!!

Eddie Landsberg | 05/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Jazz Guitar then get this CD. I bought this CD because of a review I read in Guitar Player Magazine. This CD is what I call "Serious Jazz." If you want to know why George Benson is considered one of the all-time greats then get this CD. After one listen, you won't have any questions about his greatness. BTW, the other soloists on the CD are also fantastic."

Can Easily Be Titled George Benson Cooks!

R. Angeloni | Northern California, USA | 08/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"George Benson became a crossover superstar in the late 1970s and scored a number of Top 10 singles and albums that were primarily R&B based and featured his singing. Benson, however, is one of the greatest jazz guitarists who ever lived, and this album features a young Benson showing the world what he can do on the guitar.
He's backed by Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and a number of guest performers, including Bennie Green (trombone) and Blue Mitchell (trumpet). The CD, from the very beginning, simply cooks, with the opening song, aptly titled "The Cooker," and stays uptempo throughout. The CD features a post-bop sound, and even some bossa nova. Benson sings on two cuts "All of Me," and "Let Them Talk." Columbia has added four bonus tracks on the 2001 remaster.
If you like jazz guitar and music that really moves, then this CD is for you."