Marc Benno — Ambush

Honestly, I had never heard of Marc Benno until I happened to take a chance on an odd Leon Russell album I found at Forever Changes just about a year ago, when it was still a pop-up taking place at Steel City once a month. That record is variously credited (sometimes as being by “The Asylum Choir,” other times as Leon Russell and Marc Benno,) as well as variously titled (we’ll go with “Look Inside The Asylum Choir”). I knew nothing about it, but being a big Leon Russell fan, I gave it a shot and quite loved it.

So a month or so later, when I found a copy of Marc Benno’s “Ambush,” I grabbed it. Well, this is just a wonderful little Texas blues-rock fusion album, an easygoing record from 1972 that is just charming beginning to end.

It’s also got a great set of musicians on it: Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, Carl Radle on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, Bobby Keys on saxophone. Bonnie Bramlett contributes vocals on one song, and Booker T. Jones is credited with horns – horns – on one track, and guitar on another. Just a real chill session. There is nothing not to love here.