''Big Boss Band'' is the 1990 studio album of

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

featuring the

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

. This is Benson's second consecutive album which returns to his jazz roots after his successful pop career in the 1980s, and also his debut as sole producer of an album. The genre is mainly big band swing with some Michel Legrand and R&B thrown in.

Concept

In his liner notes, Benson writes that in 1983 he made a promise to Count Basie "to do his (Basie's) music justice" on an album such as Big Boss Band. He continues: "The spirit of the Basie Legacy permeated these sessions as I approached each one (song) in the way I believed the Count would have wanted." He thanks to Frank Foster III for his contribution and notes that he "was Basie's only choice" to arrange this album.

Reception

The album was criticized by jazz writers for not being jazzy enough, for the vocal performance and for not being able to grab the opportunity of making a jazz classic.

Awards

Frank Foster received Grammy Award for his arrangement of George Benson's composition “Basie’s Bag” (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, 1990).

Track listing

Personnel

as on album cover Musicians: *

– guitar, vocals (1, 3–9) ''Count Basie Orchestra (1-4, 6, 8, 9, 10):'' * Carl "Ace" Carter – acoustic piano * Charlton Johnson – guitar *

Cleveland Eaton Cleveland Josephus Eaton II (August 31, 1939July 5, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and head of his own record company in Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His most famous accomplish ...

– bass *

Duffy Jackson Duff Clark "Duffy" Jackson (July 3, 1953 – March 3, 2021) was an American jazz drummer. Career Born in Freeport, New York, Jackson was the son of jazz double-bassist and band leader Chubby Jackson. He played drums as a young child, making ...

– drums * David Glasser – alto saxophone, alto sax solo (2) * Danny Turner – alto saxophone * Johnny Williams – baritone saxophone * Frank Foster III – arrangements (1-5, 8, 9, 10), tenor saxophone, tenor sax solo (2) * Kenneth Hing – tenor saxophone * Doug Miller – tenor saxophone * Clarence Banks – trombone * Melvin Wanzo – trombone * Tim Williams – trombone * Bill Hughes – bass trombone * George Cohn – trumpet * Bob Ojeda – trumpet, backup trumpet solo (2), arrangements (6) * Byron Stripling – trumpet, backup trumpet solo (4) * Mike Williams – trumpet Additional Musicians: * Barry J. Eastmond – acoustic piano (3), keyboards (3) *

Terry Burrus Terrance Corley Burrus is an American keyboardist, composer, dj, record producer, conductor, business, realty and fashion designer executive. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he started touring as a teenager, playing with jazz fusion violinist Mi ...

– keyboards (5) *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", " Sl ...

– keyboard bass (5) * David Witham – keyboards (5) * Ron Carter – bass (3) *

Bashiri Johnson Bashiri Johnson (born May 12, 1955) is a New York City-based percussionist, whose work has appeared on many records, as well as in commercials, films, television, videogames, and concert performances. He is known to be one of the most recorded ...

– percussion (5) *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions include "Where Is the Love", a Gra ...

– percussion (5) * Carmen Bradford – vocals (3) ''New York Horns (5):'' * Larry Farrell – trombone * Paul Faulise – trombone * Keith O'Quinn – trombone * James Pugh – trombone *

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on No ...

– trumpet * Jon Faddis – trumpet * Earl Gardner – trumpet *

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944–March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard Sc ...

– trumpet ''Robert Farnon Orchestra (7):'' *

Robert Farnon Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and ...

– arrangements * uncredited UK musicians Production: * George Benson – producer, liner notes * Al Schmitt – co-producer (Track 7), recording, mixing * Russ Defilippis – production assistant for Broadway Productions. * Peter Darmi – recording *

Elliot Scheiner Elliot Ray Scheiner (born 18 March 1947) is a music producer, mixer and engineer. Scheiner has received 27 Grammy Award nominations, eight of which he won, and he has been awarded four Emmy nominations, two Emmy Awards for his work with the Eagl ...

– recording * Dave Russell – additional recording * Jeff Toone – additional recording * Ed Rak – mixing *

Greg Calbi Gregory Calbi (born April 3, 1949) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound, New Jersey. Biography Greg Calbi was born on April 3, 1949, in Yonkers, New York, and raised in Bayside, Queens, New York. He graduated in 1966 from Bishop ...

– mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY). * Emile Charlap – musical contractor * Aaron Woodward – musical contractor * Lucrecia Snead – project administrator * Michon C. Stanco – album package coordinator * Mary Ann Dibs – art direction * Lorna Stovall – design * Robert Hakalski – photography * Robin Lynch – grooming * Alexander White – styling * Ken Fritz Management, L.A. – direction

Charts

References

{{Authority control George Benson albums 1990 albums Warner Records albums