Though it has taken three decades, the pairing of George Benson and Al Jarreau - music legends who both sprang from jazz into the international R&B and pop mainstream - was pure destiny, based on the parallels of their career paths, musical ideologies and fan bases. Both have earned multiple Gold and Platinum albums, totalling millions of copies sold, along with coveted GRAMMYr awards in both the pop and jazz categories. And both gentlemen are consummate and engaging entertainers, each capable of selling out an all-nighter by himself and still barely denting his catalogue of timeless classics.
They met while co-headlining a concert tour early this year; it was thanks to a meeting of the minds between the Concord Music Group and audiophile equipment behemoth Monster Cable that finally sent George Benson and Al Jarreau into the recording studio. The result is a landmark, 13-song album called Givin' It Up.
Painstakingly prepared by Benson and Jarreau, Givin' It Up touches on every style and mood fans could imagine from this stellar event of musical matchmaking. Moreover, with Monster launching its Monster Music division with its first recording of all-new material, this release will benefit from mind-blowing High Definition Surround (HDS) mixes for compact discs and MP3s (mixed by sound veteran Al Schmitt).
Givin' It Up crackles with inventive covers of standards ranging from the 1940s (Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child"); the 1960s (Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me" featuring a surprise cameo by pop legend Paul McCartney); the 1970s (Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze"); and the 1980s (Daryl Hall's "Everytime You Go Away"). They also show respect for the music of today, inviting neo soul diva Jill Scott to sing along on "God Bless the Child," and turning in a sumptuous instrumental rendition of singer/songwriter John Legend's "Ordinary People" (the 2005 GRAMMY winner for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance) with Marion Meadows on soprano sax.
Givin' It Up also features sizzling jazz jams on two Miles Davis classics: the classy swing of "Four," with lyrics by the great Jon Hendricks and featuring Stanley Clarke on upright bass; and the lowdown blues of "Tutu," rewritten as "Resurrection Blues" by Jarreau and set to Marcus Miller's dynamic original music (a homage to Bishop Desmond Tutu), featuring Miller himself on electric bass and special guest Herbie Hancock in scorching form on acoustic piano. "What I played on my solo were some new things I've been practicing but didn't know where I was going to use them, says Benson. And Herbie's solo is outstanding!"