George Benson – Weekend in London (Live) (2020) [FLAC 24bit/48kHz]

On November 6 2020, Mascot Label Group/Provogue Records releases a new live album “Weekend In London”, by the legendary George Benson. As an all-time icon and Grammy-winning giant of jazz, we have grown used to seeing George Benson on the stages that befit his sky-high status. During a six-decade career marked by awards, acclaim and Billboard-topping output, the Pennsylvania-born veteran has earned his place in both the history books and the biggest venues around the world. So it’s a rare treat – and a whole different thrill – to find this megastar going nose-to-nose with the breathless 250-capacity crowd at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, one of London’s most prestigious and famous venues. Weekend In London brings Benson full circle. The 77-year-old estimates that almost a half-century has passed since he last performed at the fabled Soho club, touching down in London as the hottest property on the US jazz scene of the early-’70s. The 2019 show that became Weekend In London was another fabled night to go down in the club’s folklore. This hard-bitten jazzman might prefer spontaneity to setlists, but this latest live album nods to many of his countless career peaks, whether he’s opening with the deathless groove of 1980’s US #4 smash Give Me The Night, revisiting fan favorites like Love X Love and In Your Eyes, or breathing fresh mojo into classic covers like Dave Bartholomew’s I Hear You Knocking and Donny Hathaway’s The Ghetto.

Recorded at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in 2019, Weekend in London captures legendary singer/guitarist George Benson in an intimate performance that marks his first official concert recording in 30 years. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album finds Benson framed in illustrious fashion, backed by a funky jazz ensemble, strings, and a horn section. In many ways, the record brings to mind his classic 1978 live album Weekend in L.A. and finds him reinvestigating many of his most beloved recordings. The album opens with an effusive take on his 1980 hit “Give Me the Night” that perfectly sets the tone for the vintage ’70s and early-’80s soul-jazz vibes that follow. We get equally inspired readings of cuts like “Turn Your Love Around,” “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You,” and “Never Give Up on a Good Thing.” Benson also dips into his varied catalog, offering a rendition of Dave Bartholomew’s “I Hear You Knocking” off his 2019 album Walking to New Orleans: Remembering Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, as well as a stirring take on Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto,” which he first covered on 2000’s Absolute Benson. Although 76 years old at the time of recording, Benson sounds as engaged as ever, even as his bright tenor croon has gained just a modicum of grit and gravitas in the years since Weekend in L.A. marked him as an R&B superstar. Weekend in London is a fitting showcase for Benson’s smooth jazz skills and a further reminder of his soulful legacy. – Matt Collar

Tracklist

01. George Benson – Give Me The Night (Live)
02. George Benson – Turn Your Love Around (Live)
03. George Benson – Love X Love (Live)
04. George Benson – In Your Eyes (Live)
05. George Benson – I Hear You Knocking (Live)
06. George Benson – Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You (Live)
07. George Benson – Feel Like Makin’ Love (Live)
08. George Benson – Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight (Live)
09. George Benson – The Ghetto (Live)
10. George Benson – Moody’s Mood (Live)
11. George Benson – Love Ballad (Live)
12. George Benson – Never Give Up On A Good Thing (Live)
13. George Benson – Affirmation (Live)
14. George Benson – Cruise Control (Live)

Download:

mqs.link_Ge0rgeBens0nWeekendinL0nd0nLive20202448.rar

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