I was first informed about the album Cherry by George Benson. Not personally, he had talked about the two albums that influenced him the most in a magazine interview (aside from the obvious already referenced influence of Wes Montgomery). He talked about Portuguese Soul by Jimmy Smith and Cherry by Stanley Turrentine and Milt Jackson recorded in 1972. Of course I had to check this out and was not disappointed. The lineup is Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bob James on pianos and the arranger, Billy Cobham on drums and Ron Carter on bass [Weldon Irvine Jr. - arranger (#6, 7)]. The genre is described as Soul Jazz and Hard Bop. The first tune below is Speedball written by Lee Morgan. A take on familiar jazz blues changes that still sounds fresh and modern. The next track is the standard I Remember You (music by Victor Schertzinger with lyrics by Johnny Mercer) which shows off the group's sensitive side. Sister Sanctified was written by Weldon Irvine and was first released by Weldon Irvine in 1972 and exemplifies the funk and soul jazz that was emerging at that time (one of my favorite genres, as if you couldn't have guessed by now). At the bottom is the full album which I sometimes leave in my car's CD player for days at a time. This is truly a jazz classic that never gets old.
