Breezin'

Breezin' is the fifteenth studio album by jazz/soul guitarist and vocalist George Benson. It is his debut on Warner Bros. Records. It not only was a chart-topper in the Jazz category but also went to #1 on the pop and R&B charts. It was certified triple platinum, making it one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.

This article is about the album by George Benson. For the album by Sonny Red, see Breezing (album).

Breezin'
Studio album by
George Benson
ReleasedMarch 19, 1976[1]
RecordedJanuary 6–8, 1976
StudioCapitol (Hollywood)
GenreSmooth jazz
Length38:42
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTommy LiPuma
George Benson chronology
Benson & Farrell
(1976)		 Breezin'
(1976)		 In Flight
(1977)

Commercial performance

Breezin' marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially, topping the Billboard Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts.[2] It spun off two hit singles, the title song (which has become a fusion jazz standard) and "This Masquerade," which was a top ten pop and R&B hit.[3] The album has since been certified as 3X multi-Platinum by the RIAA.[4]

The album garnered multiple nominations and awards at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album won the awards Best Pop Instrumental Performance for Benson and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Al Schmitt and was nominated as Album of the Year for Tommy LiPuma and Benson. "This Masquerade" received the award Record of the Year for LiPuma and Benson, while it was nominated as Song of the Year for Leon Russell and as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for Benson.[5]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Christgau's Record GuideC[6]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[7]

In a contemporaneous review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C" and dismissed most of its music as "mush".[8] In a retrospective review, Allmusic's Richard S. Ginell gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and said that, although Benson's guitar is "as assured and fluid as ever", Breezin' is "really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity".[9]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Breezin'"Bobby Womack5:40
2."This Masquerade"Leon Russell8:03
3."Six to Four"Phil Upchurch5:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Affirmation"José Feliciano7:01
2."So This is Love?"Benson7:03
3."Lady"Ronnie Foster5:49

Personnel

Production
  • Tommy LiPuma – producer
  • Noel Newbolt – associate producer
  • Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
  • Don Henderson – assistant engineer
  • Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California).
  • Ed Thrasher – art direction
  • Robert Lockhart – art direction
  • Peter Palombi – design
  • Mario Casilli – photography

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] 2× Platinum 140,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. "Album Picks" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Record World. 3 April 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. Breezin' Billboard Albums at AllMusic
  3. Breezin' Billboard Singles at AllMusic
  4. "American album certifications – Benson, George – Breezin_". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. "Past Winners Search | GRAMMY.com – 1976". grammy.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  6. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
  8. Christgau, Robert (14 June 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  9. Ginell, Richard S.. George Benson: Breezin' > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  10. "Charts.nz – George Benson – Breezin'". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  11. "George Benson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  12. "George Benson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  13. "George Benson Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  14. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  15. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  16. "Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  17. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  18. "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  19. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  20. "British album certifications – George Benson – Breezin'". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  21. "American album certifications – George Benson – Breezin'". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
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