Good King Bad George Benson is on a career roll! His last release (Guitar Man) was a cooker that rated up there with his CTI material way back when, and this tribute to Nat King Cole is just as impressive in its own right. Look, the fact is that Benson doesn’t have to prove anything, and he could coast all the way to the bank. The fact that he doesn’t is a tribute to his musical integrity, and we should be thankful.
He mixes Benson burning cookers with tasty guitar solos on “Just One Of Those Things” and “Route 66” that will satisfy anyone in the jazz police. If you want romantic and lush wanderlust, his vocals along with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra’s reading of Nelson Riddle charts on “Unforgettable” (with a tender solo by Wynton Marsals) and “Nature Boy will woo you to the depths. Duets with Idina Menzel on “When I Fall in Love” and with Judith Hill on the coy “Too Young” are delectable Bon Mons, while the doo wopping bopping “Straighten Up and Fly Right” is a fun hoot. The bookends that are two readings of “Mona Lisa” have “Little Georgie Benson” at age 8 sounding spry and confident while the present day icon has a rich chocolate tone that gives hint of Cole’s texture without being imitative, like a fondue dip that is semi sweet. Another well minted coin in the collection.
Concord Records