White Rabbit
George Benson
White Rabbit is a 1971 album by guitarist George Benson, recorded for Creed Taylor’s CTI label and arranged by Don Sebesky in an expansive, Spanish‑flavoured orchestral jazz style. Cut at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with an all‑star band including Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), Jay Berliner (acoustic guitar), Hubert Laws (flutes), and a small horn and woodwind section, it was Benson’s second CTI project and his first to reach the jazz top 10. The five‑track, 36‑minute set centres on long, mood‑rich arrangements where Benson’s electric and acoustic guitar lines float over flamenco‑tinged rhythms, brass fanfares, and moody woodwinds, giving the record a cinematic, almost psychedelic atmosphere that still swings.
The opening title track reimagines Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” in a minor‑key, Spanish mode, stretching Grace Slick’s rock anthem into a nearly seven‑minute jazz feature with bolero‑like undercurrents and space for Benson to solo lyrically rather than shred. Sebesky and Taylor follow the CTI formula by pairing this with other familiar melodies: Michel Legrand’s “Theme from Summer of ’42,” Heitor Villa‑Lobos’ “Little Train” from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, and the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” all reharmonized and expanded into flowing jazz suites. The closer, “El Mar,” is Benson’s own piece, a nearly 11‑minute excursion that also marks the recorded debut of 17‑year‑old guitarist Earl Klugh, giving the album a more open, jam‑like finale after the tightly arranged covers.
White Rabbit
George Benson
White Rabbit is a 1971 album by guitarist George Benson, recorded for Creed Taylor’s CTI label and arranged by Don Sebesky in an expansive, Spanish‑flavoured orchestral jazz style. Cut at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with an all‑star band including Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), Jay Berliner (acoustic guitar), Hubert Laws (flutes), and a small horn and woodwind section, it was Benson’s second CTI project and his first to reach the jazz top 10. The five‑track, 36‑minute set centres on long, mood‑rich arrangements where Benson’s electric and acoustic guitar lines float over flamenco‑tinged rhythms, brass fanfares, and moody woodwinds, giving the record a cinematic, almost psychedelic atmosphere that still swings.
The opening title track reimagines Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” in a minor‑key, Spanish mode, stretching Grace Slick’s rock anthem into a nearly seven‑minute jazz feature with bolero‑like undercurrents and space for Benson to solo lyrically rather than shred. Sebesky and Taylor follow the CTI formula by pairing this with other familiar melodies: Michel Legrand’s “Theme from Summer of ’42,” Heitor Villa‑Lobos’ “Little Train” from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, and the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” all reharmonized and expanded into flowing jazz suites. The closer, “El Mar,” is Benson’s own piece, a nearly 11‑minute excursion that also marks the recorded debut of 17‑year‑old guitarist Earl Klugh, giving the album a more open, jam‑like finale after the tightly arranged covers.