George Benson - Giblet Gravy

George Benson — Giblet Gravy

Part of the Verve Vault Series

Mastered from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound

180-gram vinyl pressed at Optimal in Germany

George Benson's Giblet Gravy, released in 1968 on Verve Records, captures the jazz guitarist's early period with the label. Produced by Esmond Edwards and featuring arrangements by Tom McIntosh, the album places Benson within a studio framework that alternates between small-group interplay and expanded ensemble writing. The sessions include a range of jazz and studio musicians, including pianist Herbie Hancock, bassists Ron Carter and Bob Cranshaw, drummer Billy Cobham, percussionist Johnny Pacheco, and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, alongside a brass and rhythm section assembled for selected tracks.

Giblet Gravy highlights the fluid articulation, blues-inflected phrasing, and rhythmic dexterity at the center of Benson's music. The collection blends contemporary popular material, standards, and original compositions — the title track and "Low Down and Dirty" — illustrating the stylistic breadth that would inform Benson's later crossover success while remaining grounded in the late-1960s jazz ensemble format.

The Verve Vault Series presents all-analog 180-gram vinyl reissues of essential albums from the Verve, Impulse!, Mercury, and associated catalogs. Mastered by Ryan K. Smith from the original analog tapes and pressed at Optimal, each release combines exceptional audio fidelity with meticulous attention to detail — from mastering to jacket reproduction.

Side A

1. Along Comes Mary

2. Sunny

3. What's New?

4. Giblet Gravy

5. Walk On By

Side B

1. Thunder Walk

2. Sack Of Woe

3. Groovin'

4. Low Down And Dirty

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