George Benson & Earl Klugh - Collaboration (1987)

An okay instrumental smooth jazz album with two guitarists doing the best they can with relatively weak material. These songs almost crossover from smooth jazz to instrumental pop (although some would argue there's not much difference between the two genres to begin with). The arrangements are full of of synth pads and drum programming, but that's fairly characteristic of the time. I've always enjoyed Klugh's brand of music and he's definitely a solid player, but I've never really thought of him as being particularly innovative. Klugh has never stretched out much and, as such, he's absolutely blown away here by Benson's fluid technique and amazing solo skills. Still, the electric and acoustic play well off each other, which puts this album in the "good, but not great" category. The total is definitely less than the sum of its parts, which makes you wonder what might have been.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "Smooth as a gravy sandwich."
• Billboard: "a classy duet foray"
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #59
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1
• Billboard Pop CD: #12
• Billboard R&B: #28
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• CashBox CD: #12

Tracks:  Like I said, the material isn't the best, but most of it is good enough for background music. The best track is Jamaica; I occasionally skip the title track and an ill-advised take on the love theme from the 1968 movie Romeo & Juliet.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I'm surprised I didn't pick this one up back in '87, but I didn't hear it until I found a a used copy back in 2005. The Romeo & Juliet track takes me back to my freshman year in high school in which we not only had to read the Shakespeare play, but we traveled to Houston to catch a live production AND had to watch the 1968 film. And to all that, I added the task of reading the Cliffs Notes. And they wonder why kids don't get into Shakespeare much.

Previously revisited for the blog:
George Benson
Givin' It Up (2006)
Best Of: The Instrumentals (1997)
20/20 (1985)
The George Benson Collection (1981)
The Other Side of Abbey Road (1970)

Earl Klugh
Midnight in San Juan (1991)
Volume One (1991)
Soda Fountain Shuffle (1985)
Two of a Kind (1982)
Late Night Guitar (1980)