The Essential George Benson
# The Essential George Benson

The Essential George Benson is a compilation album by American jazz musician George Benson, released in 2006 as a double-disc, 21-track career-spanning anthology. It is part of Sony BMG's Essential series of compilation albums.

## Reception

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| PopMatters | |

Jazz Times refers to the album as "an extraordinary musician by any standard, Benson comes close to redeeming some horribly dated CTI material, including 'White Rabbit', a landmark in schlock. There are also highlights from other key players-don’t miss Kenny Barron’s Rhodes solo on the 1974 Don Sebesky arrangement of 'Take Five.' Write off the R&B tracks if you must, but they’re flawlessly realized. 'This Masquerade' is a model of pure, economical soul singing. 'On Broadway' appears in a 10-minute live version."

## Release history

| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Worldwide | March 28, 2006 | Columbia Records, Legacy Records | CD | 118065/2005330 |
