George Benson / The Cookbook

AllMusic Review by Richard S. Ginell

The second of Benson's John Hammond-produced albums is far and away the superior of the pair, mixing down-to-basics, straight-ahead jazz with soul-drenched grooving. Suddenly Benson's backup group - same as that of Uptown, with Benny Green added on trombone now and then - has found its bearings and apropos to the title, they can cook, even sizzle. The effect upon Benson's own playing is striking; with something to react against, his sheer ability to swing advances into the realm of awesome. The rapid-fire work on "The Cooker" and "Ready And Able" will make you gasp. Only one vocal here, an exuberant "All Of Me." [In mid-2001 Columbia/Legacy reissued this 1966 classic, along with It's Uptown, recorded only several months earlier. Four bonus tracks include a (previously unreleased) doo wop vocal rendition of Little Willie John's "Let Them Talk" and two Benson originals that are pure rock-n-roll: "The Man from Toledo" and "Goodnight." Two of the bonus cuts are preceded by control-booth comments from the session's legendary producer, John Hammond.]

The George Benson Cookbook is the third studio album by jazz/soul guitarist George Benson, and the second to be produced by John Hammond.

Background

The Hard Bop Homepage says of the album, "This is basically the George Benson quartet, with Smith and Cuber, but trombonist Bennie Green and percussionist Pucho were added on some tracks, giving them a bop flavor that delighted dedicated jazz fans and critics. Benson's quartet was modeled after Jack McDuff's--with baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, organist Lonnie Smith, a powerhouse player who deserved more attention than he ever received, and Jimmy Lovelace or Marion Booker on drums. The sonorous tone of Cuber's baritone gives the quartet a richer, more dense texture than that obtained by McDuff, who used a tenor, but the overall sound is the same. At twenty-five, Ronnie Cuber was an alumnus of Marshall Brown's celebrated Newport Youth Band; he had spent the previous two years with Maynard Ferguson's very loud and brassy orchestra, which may account for his aggressive style, but Cuber's approach also emphasized rhythm, and that was precisely the ingredient called for by a "soul jazz" group of this kind."^[3]

Track listing

All tracks composed by George Benson; except where indicated

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Cooker"		4:18
2.	"Benny's Back"		4:10
3.	"Bossa Rocka"		4:20
4.	"All of Me"	Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons	2:08
5.	"Big Fat Lady"		4:40
6.	"Benson's Rider"		5:30
7.	"Ready and Able"	Jimmy Smith	3:32
8.	"The Borgia Stick"		3:05
9.	"Return of the Prodigal Son"	Harold Ousley	2:34
10.	"Jumpin' with Symphony Sid"	Lester Young	6:33
Total length:			40:50

2007 remastered CD / Blu-spec CD bonus tracks 

No.	Title	Length
11.	"The Man from Toledo"	2:08
12.	"Slow Scene"	3:11
13.	"Let Them Talk"	2:51
14.	"Goodnight" Personnel George Benson – guitar, vocals The George Benson Quartet  Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone Bennie Green – trombone Lonnie Smith – organ Albert Winston – bass Jimmy Lovelace – drums Marion Booker, Jr. – drums Read more