(May 2, 2024) George Benson is a living legend who has enjoyed an amazing career in jazz, R&B and pop for more than a half century. And now, as Benson has chosen to slow down his pace of recording and performing, he has reunited with his longtime label Warner Bros to issue a long lost "orchestral" album that features his takes on 20th century pop standards, Dreams Do Come True.
At the suggestion of Quincy Jones, in the 80s Benson teamed with legendary arranger Robert Farnon and an 87-piece orchestra for a London recording session that Benson loved. He brought the recordings back to New York, where a young Jon Bon Jovi helped put a full album together. Unfortunately, the label put the recordings aside and never released them. Those tapes stayed, forgotten, in a New York warehouse for decades...until now.
(May 2, 2024) George Benson is a living legend who has enjoyed an amazing career in jazz, R&B and pop for more than a half century. And now, as Benson has chosen to slow down his pace of recording and performing, he has reunited with his longtime label Warner Bros to issue a long lost "orchestral" album that features his takes on 20th century pop standards, Dreams Do Come True.
At the suggestion of Quincy Jones, in the 80s Benson teamed with legendary arranger Robert Farnon and an 87-piece orchestra for a London recording session that Benson loved. He brought the recordings back to New York, where a young Jon Bon Jovi helped put a full album together. Unfortunately, the label put the recordings aside and never released them. Those tapes stayed, forgotten, in a New York warehouse for decades...until now.
Benson recently rediscovered the recordings and brought them back to Warner, and all parties agreed that now was the time to bring them to life. On June 14, the world will hear the entirety of Dreams Do Come True, but in the meantime, we have a treat of hearing a sneak peek in the form of the single, "Love Is Blue." The song and Benson's performance are both terrific, and get us excited to hear the rest of the project.
Check out "Love Is Blue" below. You're going to love it.
By Chris Rizik
George Benson - "Love Is Blue"
(feat. The Robert Farnon Orchestra)