This is a two-fer. First, if anyone is interested in listening to any of the tracks I’ve shared this month check out this playlist. Then, scroll down to the bottom to find my pick of the day, George Benson’s “Give me the Night” off the same titled album. No one needs me to explain the appeal of Mr. Benson. He is the air conditioned lobby of an Ulta store or the comfy bench at an Applebee’s while you wait for your turn to eat reheated vanilla food. Normally, you try to avoid putting yourself in these types of situations to begin with, but when the weather is hot as hell outside it sure does feel right to enjoy an oasis of comfort for a bit.
George ticks off all the right notes in this song. His jazz chops putting some masterly angular funk to the breezy vocal scatting he drops throughout the song. Its no wonder this is his most popular song, its amazingly complex for a completely calculated easy listening song. It works nearly everywhere: at a club, on a pair of headphones being listened to in a hammock, at a BBQ, in a Mario Triccoci hair salon, or at home while taking a nap. This is mass production of the best kind.