Rhino Entertainment is heralding jazz guitarist and vocalist George Benson’s return to the Warner Music Group with the release of his long lost orchestral album, 1989’s Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon. The orchestral tracks for the album were recorded in London during a fertile and prolific period while Benson was still riding a wave of continuing popularity. But upon his return to New York, he chose instead to focus on another project, 1989's Tenderly, which was his first album in decades that consisted of mostly jazz standards. As that album ascended to the top of Billboard's Jazz charts, it was decided to temporarily delay the release of Dreams Do Come True—and the tapes were then misplaced for 35 years. Now that they've finally been rediscovered, the original recordings have been updated, reimagined, remixed, and remastered for new generations of fans to enjoy. Dreams Do Come True is being released on 180 gram LPs and compact discs, and will also be available as 24-bit, high-resolution digital downloads and for streaming on most major online services.
Dreams Do Come True was originally engineered by the legendary Al Schmitt, who recorded a half-dozen of Benson's biggest albums during his heyday. Schmitt’s tapes provided a perfect foundation for co-producers George Benson and Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and arranger Randy Waldman to work with in finally bringing the lost album to fruition. Engineer Joe Wohlmuth recorded the new multi-tracked overdubs for the project, and Wohlmuth and Waldman partnered to remix the album. I received the 180 gram LP of Dreams Do Come True for my evaluation; Bernie Grundman remastered the album and also cut new lacquers for the LP at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. The gatefold jacket is nicely done, with all sides featuring a satin varnish coating that gives the album a very stylish look. The jacket also features several cool images of George Benson, and the inner spread is particularly well laid-out, with a nice shot of Benson and his Ibanez guitar that spreads across the center. On the inside left panel, there's a brief reminiscence from the guitarist that details his original ideas for the album and the evolution of the process. You can order both LPs and CDs of Dreams Do Come True from Rhino's web store HERE, and they’re also available at many online and brick-and-mortar locations, as well as at your local independent record shop.
George Benson: Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon, 180 Gram Warner LP, $24.98 MSRP
As George Benson noted on the jacket’s inner spread, he’d always wanted to record an album accompanied by a full orchestra. He reached out to iconic producer and arranger Quincy Jones, hoping to get suggestions for a conductor that might work well with his unique guitar and vocal styles. And unhesitatingly, Quincy Jones recommended Canadian composer, conductor, and arranger Robert Farnon, who was living in England at the time. Farnon was held in high esteem not only by Jones, but also conductor and composer André Previn, who was quoted as calling Farnon "the greatest writer for strings in the world." Tony Bennett also spoke very highly of Farnon’s work as music director and conductor on his 1972 BBC series, Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town. George Benson traveled to England and made the arrangements to meet Farnon, who he found to be "sophisticated, gentle, and talented beyond belief…He turned out to be everything I had heard about him." Benson also described Farnon's arrangements as "musical masterpieces."
Dreams Do Come True was originally recorded in London in 1989; no specifics for the recording dates or the studio location were provided. I saw a recent YouTube video where Questlove of The Roots interviewed George Benson for his show, and they talked about Dreams Do Come True, and its evolution into the present release. Based on that interview, I’m fairly certain that only the orchestral portions of the album were recorded during the original sessions in London. Benson stated that once the orchestra started playing, (which by the way, he insists was the London Symphony Orchestra), he felt so overwhelmed by the beauty of Farnon's orchestrations, he couldn’t play a single note on his guitar. And upon his return to New York, the tapes were put aside in favor of a different project, and the album was never completed. That basically reaffirmed for me that Benson's voice and guitar, Randy Waldman’s piano, Tim May and Mike O’Neill’s guitars, Hussain Jiffry’s bass, and all background vocals that are heard on the record were recently added to the orchestral mixes.
The song selection for Dreams Do Come True includes Benson’s inimitable take on pop classics like "At Last" (as immortalized by Etta James). As well as Leon Russell’s "A Song For You"; of course, Benson’s breathtaking cover of Russell’s "This Masquerade" was his breakthrough hit in 1976. He offers an uptempo cover of the classic "Love Is Blue," which was a huge hit for Paul Mauriat in 1968; Benson performs some of his finest fretwork on the entire album, while liberally scatting throughout the tune. There’s also a very heartfelt and poignant offering of Paul McCartney’s "Yesterday," where Benson gives a surprisingly emotional performance. More in keeping with traditional jazz standards, he covers the Rodgers and Hart classic "My Romance," along with an autumnal interpretation of the perennial Kosma/Mercer/Prévert chestnut "Autumn Leaves." There’s also a more subdued take on "Can’t We Be Friends," the classic James/Swift/Clewer song made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The new arrangements throughout the proceedings are superb, even if Benson’s vocals are perhaps not as completely effortless as they once were in his prime. That said, his distinctive stylings at the guitar are in abundance, and Robert Farnon’s orchestral arrangements are nothing short of sublime; the melding of old and new here is quite nearly flawless.
Here's the LP tracklist:
Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon
Side 1
- "At Last"
- "A Song For You"
- "Pretend You’re Happy"
- "A Long Time Ago"
- "Love Is Blue"
Side 2
- "My Romance"
- "Autumn Leaves"
- "Can’t We Be Friends"
- "My Prayer"
- "Yesterday"
- "One Goodbye"
Dreams Do Come True is a Lushly-recorded Return to Form for George Benson
Clicking my name in the header allows you to see the full complement of components in my dual audio systems. I used my all-analog setup to evaluate Rhino's 180 gram LP of Dreams Do Come True. The analog system features a pair of Vanguard Scout standmount compact monitor loudspeakers; they're in the same vein as classic British monitor designs like the LS3/5As, and run in tandem with a Caldera 10 subwoofer. That setup also incorporates the excellent PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, and everything is powered by my recently upgraded PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier, which now features a matched quad of premium Sovtek 6550 power tubes and a matched pair of vintage NOS Brimar 12AU7 input tubes. LP playback was handled by my ProJect Classic EVO turntable that's mounted with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze MC cartridge. It's a vintage-styled all-analog system that hearkens to the analog glory days of yore, and provides a lush tube-based sound that was perfectly in harmony with Dreams Do Come True.
Joe Wolmuth and Randy Walman’s new remix of Dreams Do Come True is so perfectly seamless, it’s almost impossible to tell that the two sessions that created this album were 35 years apart—they did a magnificent job of blending the old with the new. Bernie Grundman's remaster is perfection incarnate, and the LP is absolutely superb in every respect. Again, there’s no information as to where the LP was pressed (it was manufactured in the US), but the platter was perfectly flat, beautifully glossy, and exceptionally quiet during playback. The sound quality of every track was exceptional, and the recording cast a believable impression of reality across my loudspeakers' soundstage. George Benson’s voice and guitar, the accompanying players and background vocalists, and of course, the all-important orchestra—are all portrayed with remarkable precision.
Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon will tick many boxes for jazz lovers, and especially fans of George Benson. Benson may be in the twilight of his career, but at 81 years old, he hasn’t slowed down much, and he’s even touring in support of the new album! That said, I definitely got the impression from his album notes and his online comments to Questlove that this record will probably be his swan song. It’s a worthy addition to his catalog—especially considering it languished for 35 years in a vault before seeing the light of day. And while this record may not exude the same cross-generational appeal of earlier hits like "This Masquerade" or the confident hipness of "Give Me The Night," it nonetheless makes for an enjoyable listen. Many thanks to Taylor Perry at Shore Fire Media and everyone at Rhino Entertainment for their assistance and for the opportunity. Recommended.
Rhino Entertainment
All images courtesy of Rhino Entertainment and Shore Fire Media.
