Revisiting some of my favorite tunes from the mid-70s, today’s classic songs of the day are both from George Benson’s genre-bending Breezin’ album: “This Masquerade” and the album’s title track, “Breezin’.” Both songs blended jazz and pop in a way that was unique for the time but led to the establishment of what some now call smooth jazz.
George Benson had been making the rounds as a Hank Garland-influenced jazz guitarist for several years. He started out playing with organist Jack McDuff, cut his first solo album (The New Boss Guitar) when he turned 21 (in 1964), and went on to play with organist Lonnie Smith, Miles Davis, and other luminaries. He signed with CTI Records in 1970, where he played on records with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, and Joe Farrell. His 1974 album Bad Benson shot to #1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart and his 1975 follow up, Good King Bad, did almost as well.
In 1976, Benson switched from CTI to Warner Bros. Records, which took the smooth contours of his earlier recordings to a whole other level. His first Warner release, in March of 1976, was the album Breezin’, which layered his jazz stylings with sugary strings and let Mr. Benson flex his (considerable) vocal chops. The first single from the album was “This Masquerade,” which melded Benson’s smooth vocals with a very tasteful guitar solo. The track hit #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, an unheard-of success for a jazz artist.
“This Masquerade” was written in 1972 by Leon Russell. It was previously recorded by Helen Reddy, the Carpenters. and Russell himself, although none of those versions made a mark. It was Mr. Benson’s jazz-influenced version that struck a chord and introduced a new generation of listeners to guitar jazz. I can tell you how thrilling it was to turn on the radio back then and hear a real (and real good) jazz solo coming out of my car speakers. It was an accomplishment.
Benson followed “This Masquerade” with the release of an instrumental track, “Breezin’.” This track, written by Bobby Womack, didn’t do quite as well, not really charting on the Hot 100 but reaching #43 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. Personally, I liked this track more than “This Masquerade,” but I’m a jazzer.
Breezin’ surrounded Benson with a bevy of top studio and jazz players. His backing band, on one track or another, included Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar and bass, Ronnie Foster on keyboards, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, and the great Harvey Mason on drums. The strings were arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, who did a lot of the CTI arrangements.
I had the Breezin’ album, of course, and listened to it a lot. All the tracks were first rate and, if not quite the legitimate jazz that a lot of my hard-core jazzer friends were into, not too far removed from the CTI records that we all were listening to back then. More importantly, Breezin’ exposed a lot of people to real jazz and jump-started George Benson’s career as a vocalist. It was an important album.
