Breezin'

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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)
Singles from Breezin'
  1. "This Masquerade"
    Released: 1977
  2. "Breezin'"
    Released: 1977

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 Billboard 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.[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 3× 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
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[6]
Christgau's Record GuideC[7]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz RecordingsStarStarStar[8]

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".[9] 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".[6] A more recent review (2023), on the Best of Jazz website, was more generous. It stated "Breezin’ is one of the best albums for Benson. This 70’s masterpiece gave [him] true popularity."

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?"George 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

Weekly charts

Chart (1976–78) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 200
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[11] 9
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] 9
US Billboard 200[13] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 1
Chart (2021) Peak
position
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[15] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (1976) Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[16] 69
US Billboard 200[17] 19
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[18] 4
Chart (1977) Position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 33
US Billboard 200[20] 26
Chart (1978) Position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] 35

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[22] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Japan — 43,090[23]
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] 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 – George Benson – Breezin". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. "Past Winners Search | GRAMMY.com – 1976". grammy.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  6. Ginell, Richard S.. Breezin' - George Benson at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  7. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  8. 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.
  9. Christgau, Robert (14 June 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  10. "George Benson ARIA Chart history (1988 to June 2026)". ARIA. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  11. "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 25, Issue 19 (1976-08-07)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  12. "Charts.nz – George Benson – Breezin'". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  13. "George Benson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  14. "George Benson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  15. "George Benson Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  16. "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 26, Issue 14 & 15 (1977-01-08)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  17. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  18. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  19. "Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  20. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  21. "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  22. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  23. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  24. "British album certifications – George Benson – Breezin'". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 December 2021. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Breezin' George Benson in the "Search:" field.
  25. "American album certifications – George Benson – Breezin'". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 November 2021.