Collectively, they cemented his global renown. Individually, they blended grooves and guitar work, proving that R&B was a natural part of Benson's profile. and LiPuma followed their smash success with several terrific Benson records. The door opened and I walked through it." I've always tried to let my experience show itself. But I've tried that approach and it doesn't work for me. "They don't always like to see you play for the general public. "I guess that's the biggest crime I've made as far as jazz lovers go," offers Benson. Some old fans were miffed about this new pop success. He followed up with many pop hits, including a sultry version of "On Broadway" and the irresistible "Give Me The Night," which thrilled many a dancer.
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And Benson's soulful update of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade," which featured the guitarist scatting along with his solo break, was a pop smash. Records, brought the instrumental title track to jazz radio. The 1976 blockbuster, his first in a long association with Warner Bros. What happened was Breezin', the first jazz record to attain platinum sales. He said 'Sure, let's go with some vocals, see where we get.' And you know what happened after that." When I got with Tommy LiPuma all that changed. The first time I tried to sing along with my guitar, everybody in the studio booed. I wanted to use my band in the studio, just get comfortable and test out some stuff. "I'd been screaming about my guitar sound for years, and they didn't want to hear about it. And the environment didn't seem right for growth. But after a while different ideas began to flow from Benson's muse. Classic albums, such as Beyond the Blue Horizon, abounded. His visibility and prestige grew even further. Hooking up with the CTI label in 1970, he was united with many of jazz's finest instrumentalists, including Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter, and Freddie Hubbard.
His work was boundless: in the late '60s he sat in on heady Miles Davis sessions, and also put a personal spin on the tunes from the Beatles' Abbey Road. Playing the combination won Benson access to all sorts of arenas. Of course I still wanted to be like Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and Hank Garland?my heroes. "He turned me on to some wonderful ways to get in and out of chord changes and weld harmonies together. "I'd sat down with a great blind pianist from San Francisco name Freddy Gambrel," recalls Benson. His work for the label proved Hammond's hunch to be on-target: brains and flash were in perfect synch. A jaunty funk and swing aesthetic prevailed.īy the time legendary talent scout John Hammond signed Benson to Columbia, the guitarist's name was bubbling throughout the industry. Benson's tone was juicy, and his blues solos sparkled with a carefully honed logic. Benson had both the conviction and chops to nip at his hero's heels his 1964 debut was released as The New Boss Guitar. Montgomery had called one of his best records Boss Guitar. But I really like when people kick up their heels and go crazy."
The intellectual stuff that came later on?Charlie Parker and all that?turned toward a brainier sound. "A lot of the jazz tunes we played together were danceable, and that furthered my understanding of what people wanted. "Jack turned me on to a lot of stuff," muses Benson. In the early 1960s, Benson apprenticed with organist Brother Jack McDuff he found the organist's gritty swing a fertile ground for the sly, confident, and adventurous guitar lines, which earned him an early rep as a master. It was Wes Montgomery, one of jazz's most creative players, who came across Benson early on the vet complimented the young guitarist, urging him to continue his already impressive work. But that doesn't change my desire to entertain folks. As my career has progressed, I've had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. "I was an entertainer first," he says proudly "As a kid I sang, danced, and played the ukulele in a nightclub. That's where his yen to please a crowd was born. Rounding out his singular approach with sly, seductive rhythm and blues, he's earned himself an impeccable reputation as one of music's most enterprising and engaging stars.įew might have predicted that striking level of stardom some forty years ago, when Benson was a fledgling guitarist working the corner pubs of his native Pittsburgh. He has consistently placed his keenly discerning art in the service of a rousing good time. Appreciated as both a musician and performer by millions, George Benson has always had the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer.
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