SACD George Benson – Breezin’

Breezin’ as a hybrid SACD from the Analogue Productions Acoustic Sounds 40 Series: Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab mastered George Benson’s 1976 classic direct to DSD from the original master tape. All six pieces play in one sequence – from the title track and “This Masquerade” to “Lady”.

The melody leads, the guitar keeps exploring

Breezin’ is easy to love without being simply made. George Benson presents a melody so naturally that his technical fluency may not register as virtuosity at first: a line sings, a brief embellishment shifts its emphasis, and the guitar returns to the song. The point is never to show off at every turn – it is to use that ability while keeping the music open and inviting.

Released in 1976, the album marked Benson’s arrival at Warner Bros. – not the debut of an unknown, but a new chapter for an established jazz guitarist. Tommy LiPuma produced the sessions, held from 6 to 8 January at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, and Al Schmitt handled recording and mixing. Theirs is a production that balances rhythmic foundation, solo voice and arrangement with great care.

Six songs, six writing perspectives

Bobby Womack wrote the title track, Leon Russell “This Masquerade” and José Feliciano “Affirmation”. The rest of the programme includes Phil Upchurch’s “Six to Four”, Ronnie Foster’s “Lady” and Benson’s own “So This Is Love?”. No single songwriter’s signature unifies the album – Benson and his band create its continuity through the way they treat this varied material.

Upchurch and Foster are band members, not just names in the credits: Upchurch plays guitar and bass on part of the programme, Foster adds electric keyboard colours. Jorge Dalto plays piano, Stanley Banks bass, Harvey Mason drums and Ralph MacDonald percussion, while Claus Ogerman’s arrangements widen the setting. Many musicians are involved, yet the production never makes you count them.

“This Masquerade”: the singer inside the band

“This Masquerade” became the album’s defining vocal performance. Hear Benson’s singing not as a break from his guitar playing but as another way of phrasing: the song gives a clear melodic thread while the band develops its own flow around it. Jorge Dalto’s piano solo is one of the moments when the recording looks beyond its star.

The Grammy recognition honoured distinct achievements: “This Masquerade” won Record of the Year, Breezin’ earned Benson the award for Pop Instrumental Performance, and Al Schmitt received Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Beyond Benson’s lead line, Mason’s drums and MacDonald’s percussion are a joy to follow – movement without pressure, in an album that sounds effortless and rewards every return.

The hybrid SACD from the Acoustic Sounds 40 Series

CAPR 006 SA is a hybrid SACD from the Analogue Productions Acoustic Sounds 40 Series. According to the publisher, Matthew Lutthans mastered it direct to DSD at The Mastering Lab from the original master tape – the house where Doug Sax mastered the original album. The SACD layer plays on SACD-capable players, the CD layer on any conventional CD player. The disc contains the six pieces of the original album.

You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and ship from Hilden.

More from the series: Acoustic Sounds 40th Anniversary Series

Also in another edition: Breezin’

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Musicians

Personnel checked against album sources.

• George BensonVocals, Guitar
• Jorge DaltoClavinet, Piano
• Ronnie FosterElectric piano, Minimoog
• Phil UpchurchElectric bass, Guitar
• Stanley BanksElectric bass
• Harvey MasonDrums
• Ralph MacDonaldPercussion
• Bennie MaupinFlute
• Claus OgermanConductor