This is the peak of
George Benson
's courtship of the mass market -- a superbly crafted and performed
pop
album with a large supporting cast -- and wouldn't you know that
Quincy Jones
, the master catalyst, is the producer.
Q
's regular team, including the prolific songwriter
Rod Temperton
and the brilliant engineer
Bruce Swedien
, is in control, and
Benson
's voice, caught beautifully in the rich, floating sound, had never before been put to such versatile use. On
"Moody's Mood,"
really exercises his vocalese chops and proves that he is technically as fluid as just about any
jazz
vocalist, and he become a credible rival to
Al Jarreau
on the joyous title track.
's guitar now plays a subsidiary role -- only two of the ten tracks are instrumentals -- but
has him play terrific fills behind the vocals and in the gaps, and the engineering gives his tone a variety of striking, new, full-sounding timbres. The instrumentals themselves are marvelous:
"Off Broadway"
is driving and danceable, and
Ivan Lins
'
"Dinorah, Dinorah"
grows increasingly seductive with each play.
should have worked with
Jones
from this point on, but this would be their only album together. ~ Richard S. Ginell