''Breezin is the fifteenth studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

and vocalist

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion 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 ...

. It is his debut on Warner Bros. Records. It not only was a ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Jazz Albums chart-topper but also went to number 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.

Commercial performance

''Breezin marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially, topping the ''Billboard'' Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts. 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. The album has since been certified as 3× Multi-Platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. The album garnered multiple nominations and awards at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album won the awards

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

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 The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

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.

Critical reception

In a contemporaneous review for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'', music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

gave the album a "C" and dismissed most of its music as "mush". In a retrospective review,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'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".

Track listing

Personnel

– guitar, vocals *

Jorge Dalto Jorge Dalto (July 8, 1948 – October 27, 1987) was a pop, jazz and Afro-Cuban music pianist from Argentina, and the former musical director and keyboardist (together with Ronnie Foster) for George Benson, contributing the acoustic piano intro a ...

– acoustic piano, clavinet, acoustic piano solo (2) *

Ronnie Foster Ronnie Foster (born May 12, 1950) is an American funk and soul jazz organist, and record producer. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records in the 1970s have gained a cult following after the emergence of acid jazz. Early life Foster was born ...

– electric piano,

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

, Minimoog solo (3), electric piano solo (5) * Phil Upchurch – rhythm guitar, bass guitar (1, 3) * Stanley Banks – bass guitar (2, 46) *

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters. Life and career Mason was born and grew ...

– drums * Ralph MacDonald – percussion * Claus Ogerman – arrangements and conductor

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

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

External links

*
''Breezin
at

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(streamed copy where licensed) {{Authority control George Benson albums 1976 albums Warner Records albums Albums produced by Tommy LiPuma Albums arranged by Claus Ogerman Albums recorded at Capitol Studios Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical