George Benson & Earl Klugh-Collaboration (1987)

In 1987, two of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, George Benson and Earl Klugh, joined forces to record "Collaboration", an exquisite work of smooth jazz where both showcase their distinctive and distinct styles. The album moves seamlessly from mellow jazz to ambient music, featuring subtle synthesizer arrangements and electronic drum programming. Earl Klugh's solid and warm acoustic guitar playing contrasts with George Benson's fluid, blues-based technique. Both demonstrate their astonishing six-string skills, brilliantly and effectively fusing acoustic and electric sounds. For this project, the duo collaborated with various musicians from the jazz fusion scene, including guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, drummers Harvey Mason and Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Marcus Miller, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, and programmers and keyboardists James Newton Howard, Jason Miles, and Larry Williams. Attractive tracks such as "Mt. Airy Road", "Mimosa", "Brazilian Stomp", "Jamaica" or "Since You're Gone", would propel the album to the top spot on the Billboard charts in the category of best contemporary jazz album.