Body Talk

Performer: George Benson (Guitar)
Artist: Earl Klugh; Ron Carter; Jack DeJohnette; Frank Foster; Jon Faddis; Harold Mabern; Dick Griffin
Engineer: Rudy VanGelder...
Distributor: Sony Music Entertainment

Notes: Personnel includes: George Benson, Earl Klugh (guitar); Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); Jon Faddis, John Gatchell, Waymon Reed (trumpet, flugelhorn); Gerald Chamberlain, Dick Griffin (trombone); Harold Mabern (electric piano); Ron Carter, Gary King (bass); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Mobutu (percussion). Producer: Creed Taylor. Reissue producer: Didier C. Deutsch. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in July 1973. Originally released on CTI Records. Includes liner notes by Didier C. Deutsch. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: George Benson (guitar); Earl Klugh (guitar); Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); John Gatchell, Waymon Reed, Jon Faddis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Dick Griffin, Gerald Chamberlain (trombone); Harold Mabern (electric piano); Gary King (electric bass); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Mobutu (percussion). Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (07/17/1973). Photographer: Steve Salmieri. Arranger: Pee Wee Ellis. Benson stretches out extensively on this recording, cut in a couple of days in 1973. He also wrote four of the five tunes, though often his composing here consists of laying down enough of a riff to establish a groove and then letting a handful of horn hits complete the job. "Top of the World," "Dance," and the title cut follow this pattern; "Plum" makes more of melody statement, cooking in a smoky, mid-tempo vein before jumping into double time, with Benson getting busy over a two-chord vamp. The six horns, arranged by James Brown vet Alfred (Pee Wee) Ellis, include musicians like Frank Foster and Jon Faddis, and succeed in sounding hot and funky rather than cheesy and contrived. While the liner notes emphasize the presence of Earl Klugh in Benson's band at this time (Benson had recently met and hired the 19-year old), his presence on BODY TALK is minimal; he can be heard playing recurring R&B figures in the background on "Dance," and takes a 16-bar solo on "When Love Has Grown," the album's one cover, after harmonizing on the melody with his boss.

Q (4/02, p.130) - 3 out of 5 stars - "...Light and funky...a signpost to the accessible jazz-funk pf BREEZIN'..." Mojo (Publisher) (6/02, p.125) - "...Finds the guitarist in swaggering form..."

George Benson's success as a pop performer has perhaps overshadowed his status as a jazz artist, but beneath the glossy exterior is a guitarist of the highest rank. Similar to his role model, Wes Montgomery, Benson made his mark in the mid 1960s as a hard-swinging guitarist before venturing into lushly produced pop-jazz that showcased his talents in a more radio-friendly setting. Despite the aesthetic departure, Benson remains an artist with a highly individual style.

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