LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Discounting a pair of vocals made when he was 11 years old, this is George Benson's first recording as a leader. In 1964, he was sideman and rapidly developing guitarist in the versatile combo of organist Jack McDuff, and it is McDuff's band that backs Benson here. McDuff has been quoted as saying that Benson was so raw when he hired him that although he could play the blues, he didn't know any complete tune. By the time of his album, Benson the fast learner had eliminated that deficiency, as can be plainly heard in the two standards here. He still had some developing to do, but he had become the peer of McDuff and the veteran tenor saxophonist Red Holloway, quite an accomplishment for a young man of 21. Shadow Dancers, The Sweet Alice Blues, I Don't Know, Just Another Sunday, Will You Still Be Mine, Easy Living, Rock-a-bye, plus CD bonus track My Three Sonswith Jack McDuff, Red Holloway, Ronnie Boykins, Montego Joe, Joe Dukes