George Benson

[Steve Reynolds]

I will take a look at home - have no videos at work

but then maybe some of y'all should find out about what Brandon Seabrook is playing.....I think Gerald Cleaver's Black Host is one of the greatest bands I ever heard - and they got this guitar player named Brandon FUCKING Seabrook - and he plays a more interesting guitar than any of all of that well you know......

now *that* was some guitar playing to these ears......

and howza bout John Adams on the amzing damn CD called Ghostly Thoughts with Dunmall and Sanders

hold moly - top 25 all time for me.

[JSngry]

You know, I'm happy to hear anybody doing what they want to do and doing it well and with whatever their own sense of gusto is. Whether or not I "like" it or not is just a game for me and myself to play with each other in our spare time.

If I need "saving" or whatever, it won't be through anybody's music unless me and myself decide that's how it's gonna be, nor will anybody's music "destroy" me, unless me and myself decide that's how it's gonna be.

It's gotten that simple for me most of the time. Really.

[sgcim]

As mjzee said, Benson fanatics are fascinating. I knew it was a mistake to say anything less than that the Almighty GB is not the greatest jazz guitar player that ever existed, but here are some African-American guitarists I like:

Wes Montgomery (of course!), Kenny Burrell (one of my faves!), Henry Johnson, John Collins, Irving Ashby, Russell Malone, Grant Green, Ray Crawford, Freddie Green, Jimmy Ponder, Mark Whitfield, Sonny Greenwich,Anthony Wilson, Ed Cherry, Charlie Christian, Les Spann, Billy Butler, Phil Upchurch, Sonny Sharrock, Bobby Broom, Rodney Jones, Earl Klugh, Bill Smith, Al Casey, Calvin Keys, O'Donal Levy, Lionel Loueke, Ted Dunbar, and last but not least the Almighty GEORGE "BAD" BENSON himself!!!

YES! I dig Benson, and many others who don't play with the same rhythmic feel as Raney,Farlow, Hall, etc..., but I think I made it clear that this was just my personal opinion, and that Benson and Jones are incredible jazz guitarists.

The Pat Martino comment about Benson was made to a private student of his, and wasn't in your little Downbeast magazine, or whatever rag you read.

I hope you're not a guitarist, because your comment about Ed Bickert being a "snoozefest" would indicate a very sad state of affairs on your part. Tal may have lost it after the 50s, but his recordings of the 50s are the best representations of Bud Powell on the guitar of that time.

[mjzee]

Also, technical savvy isn't everything. Grant Green wasn't technically sophisticated, but he made some very satisfying records. His solo on Mobley's "Uh Huh" is one of my favorite performances of all time because it moves so much, but I would never say he was an innovator. Still, that doesn't matter to me.

[JSngry]

I think that having a readily identifiable, personal voice is an innovation in itself.

[Milestones]

I'm also one who is not much into the whole technical end of things, although you would have to be deaf if you couldn't hear that Benson has chops galore. But the big things are distinctive voice and distinctive feeling. So you get that with both George Benson and with Grant Green, who is arguably a less gifted player (technically).

I'm not a musician, so that explains why I'm not about to wax on about technique.

Now, if you want "voice" on a Forum, go with Steve Reynolds. I'd recognize him in the first sentence even if the name were removed.

[robertoart]

As mjzee said, Benson fanatics are fascinating. I knew it was a mistake to say anything less than that the Almighty GB is not the greatest jazz guitar player that ever existed, but here are some African-American guitarists I like:

Wes Montgomery (of course!), Kenny Burrell (one of my faves!), Henry Johnson, John Collins, Irving Ashby, Russell Malone, Grant Green, Ray Crawford, Freddie Green, Jimmy Ponder, Mark Whitfield, Sonny Greenwich,Anthony Wilson, Ed Cherry, Charlie Christian, Les Spann, Billy Butler, Phil Upchurch, Sonny Sharrock, Bobby Broom, Rodney Jones, Earl Klugh, Bill Smith, Al Casey, Calvin Keys, O'Donal Levy, Lionel Loueke, Ted Dunbar, and last but not least the Almighty GEORGE "BAD" BENSON himself!!!

YES! I dig Benson, and many others who don't play with the same rhythmic feel as Raney,Farlow, Hall, etc..., but I think I made it clear that this was just my personal opinion, and that Benson and Jones are incredible jazz guitarists.

The Pat Martino comment about Benson was made to a private student of his, and wasn't in your little Downbeast magazine, or whatever rag you read.

I hope you're not a guitarist, because your comment about Ed Bickert being a "snoozefest" would indicate a very sad state of affairs on your part. Tal may have lost it after the 50s, but his recordings of the 50s are the best representations of Bud Powell on the guitar of that time.

Yes I am a guitarist.

I have addressed my comment about Ed Bickert in the 'Ed Bickert' thread

Actually the Martino comment was on the Jazz Bulletin Board forum. Martino had his own thread where he answered reader questions over a number of years. He also generously shared his charts and teaching resources freely and enthusiastically. Unfortunately, some copyright pedant must have asked for the removal of this awesome material, as I have returned there when memory serves and found it all gone. Fascinating man is Pat Martino.

Nice list of guitar players too by the way. Heavily populated, I see, by lots of other George Benson fanatics , but alas (I have to admit), all better guitarists than me .

[robertoart]

I mean, I know it's a drag to have to go to dance music to hear such damn fine guitar playing, but...world gone wrong, right, jazz fans?

Put your glasses down.

[Big Al]

In any case, I will continue to listen to Benson, but so far I'm having trouble finding 60-70 minutes of first-rate stuff I could listen to over and over again.

Have you heard this?

Benson in 1973, two discs of live music with Mickey Tucker in support, only one vocal track, excellent song selection. Probably really his last straightahead date, it obviously pre-dates his ascent as a pop star.

Wow!!! This is my favorite era of Benson and I've never heard of this album. MUST find and own!!!

Milestones, also track down BODY TALK. Guitar funk at its finest!

[CJ Shearn]

I mean, I know it's a drag to have to go to dance music to hear such damn fine guitar playing, but...world gone wrong, right, jazz fans?

That's a GREAT track. Killing solo too.

[JSngry]

Yep.Some of the best extended Benson soling on record for quite a while.

And I was kidding about it being a shame that it was on a dance record. I myself have developed quite a fondness for dance music over the last few years.

[CJ Shearn]

There's some great stuff in the more recent electronic and House realms. I recently discovered an old Detroit deep house track by Mr. Fingers called "Can You Feel It?" Last year when one of my friends visited me she got me onto Underworld and the 1992-2012 compilation.

In any case, I will continue to listen to Benson, but so far I'm having trouble finding 60-70 minutes of first-rate stuff I could listen to over and over again.

Have you heard this?

Benson in 1973, two discs of live music with Mickey Tucker in support, only one vocal track, excellent song selection. Probably really his last straightahead date, it obviously pre-dates his ascent as a pop star.

Wow!!! This is my favorite era of Benson and I've never heard of this album. MUST find and own!!!

Milestones, also track down BODY TALK. Guitar funk at its finest!

Milestones, make sure if you haven't already, track down the CTI 40th Anniversary editions of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and "Body Talk". It's the first time those albums were mastered from the original tapes (as all the 40th anniversary reissues are) and they sound great. Although the bonus tracks are still from the remixes made back in the 80's.

[John L]

Breezin' was trashed by jazz critics when it was released, but it has held up quite well for what it is. Young musicians all around the world still play the title track and Masquerade all the time, even people who don't know who George Benson is. Masquerade is a great song.

That said, he should have been arrested for composing and performing "The Greatest Love Of All," and for inspiring Whitney Houston to record it.

[marcello]

"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest.

[John L]

"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest.

Thank you. I don't know why I was under the impression that Benson wrote the song. That is a relief! Now my estimation of George Benson has increased.

[JSngry]

Masquerade is a great song.

Yes it is. Composed by Leon Russell, too, fwiw.

And recorded by the Carpenters (and released as a B-Side of one of their hit singles) in 1973, several years before Benson got to it, in a version that has more than a hint of jazz flavor to it.

And let's not forget that Breezin' was composed by Bobby Womack & debuted by Gabor Szabo!

[robertoart]

Yep. And Affirmation by Jose Feliciano.

[marcello]

I love Afirmation. Really great song! Al Gafa did a wonderful version of it also on the neglected Leblon Beach.

A quck aside: I met Jose' Feliciano ( "Call me Jose" [ like Hose] )quickly when he was eating a lunch next to me at Kennedy Airport this last October. I never impose on people I recognize like this, but after we both finished eating and I rose to leave, I wanted to tell him I dug his version on the Star Spangled Banner that he sung during the baseball playoffs. He couldn't have been nicer and we talked Yankee baseball for a while. He then insisted on putting me and my wife on a guest list for his performance at BB Kings that December ( his manager was with him) , even though I told him I couldn't make it, so he gave me his personal email and gave me a open invitation whenever we had time. A really nice man.

[robertoart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SHi8zgiPks

[David Ayers]

I always thought that This Masquerade was the theme tune of a US TV show, but after reading this thread I was thinking about GB and went to try and check which show, I came up with squat. So am I wrong about that? Anybody know?

[CJ Shearn]

I love Afirmation. Really great song! Al Gafa did a wonderful version of it also on the neglected Leblon Beach.

A quck aside: I met Jose' Feliciano ( "Call me Jose" [ like Hose] )quickly when he was eating a lunch next to me at Kennedy Airport this last October. I never impose on people I recognize like this, but after we both finished eating and I rose to leave, I wanted to tell him I dug his version on the Star Spangled Banner that he sung during the baseball playoffs. He couldn't have been nicer and we talked Yankee baseball for a while. He then insisted on putting me and my wife on a guest list for his performance at BB Kings that December ( his manager was with him) , even though I told him I couldn't make it, so he gave me his personal email and gave me a open invitation whenever we had time. A really nice man.

That's great!!

[robertoart]

I love Afirmation. Really great song! Al Gafa did a wonderful version of it also on the neglected Leblon Beach.

A quck aside: I met Jose' Feliciano ( "Call me Jose" [ like Hose] )quickly when he was eating a lunch next to me at Kennedy Airport this last October. I never impose on people I recognize like this, but after we both finished eating and I rose to leave, I wanted to tell him I dug his version on the Star Spangled Banner that he sung during the baseball playoffs. He couldn't have been nicer and we talked Yankee baseball for a while. He then insisted on putting me and my wife on a guest list for his performance at BB Kings that December ( his manager was with him) , even though I told him I couldn't make it, so he gave me his personal email and gave me a open invitation whenever we had time. A really nice man.

That's great!!

Yep. Enjoyed reading that.

Jose toured Australia very often in the 70's and 80's.

A big part of our musical landscape.

He was almost as famous here as Rodriquez

In fact Jose, Sammy Davis Jr. and various incarnations of Canned Heat and Steppenwolf seemed to be out here every second week

[Dan Gould]

Benson at Carnegie Hall with Bags guesting - 1975 - Wolfgang's

[robertoart]

Benson at Carnegie Hall with Bags guesting - 1975 - Wolfgang's

Fantastic.

[MomsMobley]

Yep.Some of the best extended Benson soling on record for quite a while.

And I was kidding about it being a shame that it was on a dance record. I myself have developed quite a fondness for dance music over the last few years.