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This Is Jazz #9 Review
07/13/2005 5:37 AM, AMG
Taken from Columbia's multi-volume jazz primer, this is not bad for a single-company compilation. The selections split down the middle between Benson's early 1965-66 Columbia albums and his 1971-76 CTI output that Columbia now controls; the gaps are obvious but the title of the series neatly narrows the scope of the survey. We hear the young, eager Benson in four cuts from It's Uptown and only two from the superior Cookbookincluding the spectacular "The Cooker" - before sampling a cut apiece from CTI's Beyond The Blue Horizon, Bad Benson, Good King Bad, and At Carnegie Hall. In addition, the outtake solo "From Now On" is reprised from CTI/CBS' Best Of Benson, as is "I Remember Wes." Throughout, there are plenty of examples that explain why Benson is so esteemed as a jazz guitarist - the unerring selection of notes, the churning rhythms, melting lyricism and sheer ability to swing. This, coupled with Warner Bros.' Collection, will give the casual Benson browser an adequate idea of his multiple talents. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
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