robviti

this comes from the bio section on benson's website: Appreciated as both musician and performer by millions, George Benson has always had the duel personae of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer. He has always placed his keenly discerning art in the service of a rousing good time. 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. Few 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. That's where his yen to please a crowd was born. "I was an entertainer first," he says proudly "As a kid I sang, danced and played the ukelele in a nightclub. As my career has progressed, I've had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. But that doesn't change my desire to entertain folks. That's really who I am." 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. 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. "Jack turned me on to a lot of stuff," muses Benson. "A lot of the jazz tunes we played together were danceable, and that furthered my understanding of what people wanted. When jazz was danceable, it was king. The intellectual stuff that came later on - Charlie Parker and all that - turned toward a brainier sound. That was good, and I dug it. But I really like when people kick up their heels and go crazy." Montgomery had called one of his best records Boss Guitar. Benson had both the conviction and chops to nip at his hero's heels; his 1964 debut was released as The New Boss Guitar. It lived up to its title. Benson's tone was juicy, and his blues solos sparkled with a carefully honed logic. A jaunty funk and swing aesthetic prevailed. By the time legendary talent scout John Hammond signed Benson to Columbia, the guitarist's name was bubbling throughout the industry. His work for the label proved Hammond's hunch to be on-target: brains and flash were in perfect synch. "I'd sat down with a great blind pianist from San Francisco name Freddy Gambrel," recalls Benson. "He turned me onto some wonderful ways to get in and out of chord changes and weld harmonies together. Of course I still wanted to be like Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and Hank Garland - my heroes. I've always liked the hot guitar guys." Playing the combination won Benson access to all sorts of arenas. 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. 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 visibility and prestige grew even further. Classic albums, such as Beyond the Blue Horizon, abounded. But after a while different ideas began to flow from Benson's muse. And the environment didn't seem right for growth. "I'd been screaming about my guitar sound for years, and they didn't want to hear about it. I wanted to use my band in the studio, just get comfortable and test out some stuff. But it was like pulling teeth. The first time I tried to sing along with my guitar, everybody in the studio booed. They all said that it wouldn't work. When I got with Tommy LiPuma all that changed. He said 'Sure, let's go with some vocals, see where we get.' And you know what happened after that." What happened was Breezin', the first jazz record to attain platinum sales. The 1976 blockbuster, his first in a long association with Warner Bros. Records, brought the instrumental title track to jazz radio. 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. He followed up with a sultry version of "On Broadway," and the irresistible "Give Me The Night," which thrilled many a dancer. Benson was a superstar. Some old fans were miffed about this new pop success. "I guess that's the biggest crime I've made as far as jazz lovers go," offers Benson. "They don't always like to see you play for the general public. They want to be catered to. But I've tried that approach and it doesn't work for me. Nobody can stay one way for 30 years. I've always tried to let my experience show itself. You learn, you change. The door opened and I walked through it." Throughout the 1980s Warner Bros. and LiPuma followed their smash success with several terrific Benson records. Individually, they blended grooves and guitar work, proving that R&B was a natural part of Benson's profile. Collectively, they cemented his global renowned. The guitarist has won eight Grammies, played around the world, and thrilled many crowds with his playing. In the mid-'90s Benson followed LiPuma to the GRP label. Their association had proven artistically and commercially fertile; both wanted to sustain it. Together they cut the 1996 gem That's Right. It offered a modern version of contemporary jazz that reminded its listeners Benson was one of the genre's forefathers. These days Benson's interests are many. He's often spotted out at Manhattan jazz clubs, checking the action of fledgling guitarists. The most impressive of the lot are sometimes invited back to Benson HQ for jam sessions and stylistic powwows. The guitarist is resolute about keeping the sparkle in his playing. "The younger cats awaken something in me from the early days. I love listening and playing with guys like Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, and Christian McBride. When they tell me I've still got the chops, I feel great." Benson's latest GRP disc is Standing Together. It not only assures that his chops are sharper than ever, but suggests that his studio savvy is continuing to grow. This time around, he uses elements of hip hop and Caribbean rhythms to keep his personalized R&B on the edgy side. "I'm not against ear candy," he chuckles, "but I like mine to be significant, not just noises in the record. Some of those backing tracks on the new record are cool. They give me little tidbits of sound to bounce my guitar lines off of." Said like a open-minded creative type, which is exactly who Benson is. Unfazed by the constrictions of predictability, he's built a career on sniffing out what people enjoy hearing, and what he enjoys playing. "I had to break a couple rules along the way," he reflects. "There was an unwritten law: be cool, don't get too raunchy. But jazz was once hanging-out music. And the easiest way to involve people is by getting 'em tapping their feet. When they're tapping a bit, they'll go your way. That's when I can float any kind of jazz line into the music. Once the audience knows I respect them, they let me be whatever I want to be. I hope - no, I firmly believe - that will always be the case."

a very happy birthday to you, jack!

cats go meow, bugs go buzzzz, and shit, well shit sez:

the pictures are great and the captions are often clever, but the insipidly cute language has got to go. me wanna cwam doz icky words wight down deir widdle troats.

This has got to be the oddest recommendation I've ever offered - A Blind Date by vocalist Shea Breaux Wells. You see, I'm not really taken with Ms. Wells's voice (I admit I'm especially picky/critical when it comes to vocalists). However, the band on this disc is fantastic, and the production is quite good. Led by trumpeter/producer/board member David Weiss, the band includes George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Craig Handy on sax and flute. So why am I recommending this recording? Well, I figure if you listen to the clips at CD Baby, Amazon, etc. and you like Ms. Wells's voice, you'll really enjoy the cd because, again, imo the band is first rate.

gee, and i thought you were going to go all herald on my ass. i just can't stand it when you're reasonable!

now i understand your fondness for the herald. it doesn't take a "bleeding heart" to distinguish justice from revenge, only an open heart and an open mind. this was a horrible tragedy for everyone involved, and that excludes me, you, thom, etc. entwistle will spend the rest of his life behind bars trying to deal with what he did, and that's good enough for me.

boy, what a skeptic you are! perhaps a skeptic, or maybe a narcissist to think that jazz fans are even considered a demographic. i think more people dislike jazz than like it, so putting Miles et al on the list could backfire and cost him the election.

i haven't followed the case, so i can't comment on the assertions you've made. on the other hand, if the herald bloggers are anything like the paper itself, i'd be wary about drawing conclusions based on what they say.

if you're interested in buying the cd, order it directly from dennis. i've purchased numerous discs from him in the past (and isn't it nice when you have the chance to support the artist directly?). he has a very interesting website that's worth checking out. his cds are only $12 plus $1.60 shipping in the states. check the website for international orders. here's the link. you can buy cds by clicking on the "store" icon: dennis gonzalez btw, dennis might also have cdr-s of some his older recordings for sale. two of them include some good playing by a fellow board member.

and later available for streaming. the name of charlie's weekly show is research and development. follow the link, scroll down to the show's title, and select the date: research and development on wmbr

while other potheads were listening to zeppelin and pink floyd, my friends and i enjoyed carlin (and pryor, cosby, and the firesign theater) during our roundtable, uh, discussions. he was one of the true comic geniuses of our time, imo, and i wish i could have had the opportunity to thank him face-to-face. rest in peace, class clown. oh yeah - shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.

contemplating a career change, are we?

Universal Music Group Masters Unharmed In Fire June 02, 2008, 1:10 PM ET Jonathan Cohen, N.Y. Contrary to online reports, "thousands of original recording masters" from the Decca, MCA and ABC labels were not destroyed in a fire on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles over the weekend. "We had no loss, thankfully," a Universal spokesperson tells Billboard. "We moved most of what was formerly stored there earlier this year to our other facilities. Of the small amount that was still there and awaiting to be moved, it had already been digitized so the music will still be around for many years." The spokesperson continues, "Moreover, in addition to being digitized, we also had physical back up copies of what was still left at that location, so we were covered." The fire did destroy some famous movie props, including the courthouse square from "Back to the Future," and an exhibit with a mechanical King Kong. NOT THE MECHANICAL KING KONG!

could it be due to the fact that it is illegal to sell this material in the u.s.? nah, probably not.

no he hasn't marla. i should call him and give him a kick in the pants. he phoned me sunday after the shoot and the brunch/jam session. over a hundred musicians showed up for the shoot and everything went very well. one more thing i'll share because it really touched me: mark said a number of the musicians came up to him to express their gratitude for the opportunity to get together with their friends, some of whom they hadn't seen for years. sadly, these artists often don't get a chance to see each other unless it's at a funeral. this was a much happier occasion; one befitting their place in jazz history. imagine organizing such a get-together for the jazz artists from your city. i was thinking of a dinner/awards ceremony/jam session kind of thing with a name like boston's jazz - we remember. a big undertaking, no doubt, but from what mark said it will provide memories to last a lifetime.

BARNEY MILLER!

for me, the choice depends partly on what time of the day or night the show airs. i'd choose something with a faster tempo for a morning or afternoon show than i would for one in the evening or late evening/wee hours of the morn. eric in the evening, a 7pm-midnight show on wgbh signs on with tommy flanagan's wonderful recording of horace silver's peace. stereo jack used to have a great show on the same station saturdays from 1am-5/6, but i'll let him tell you his theme if he wants to. i'd start my show with flamenco sketches from kob. i know it's not a very original choice, but the song has such a hauntingly beautiful melody, and that performance really sets the late night mood for me.

in my day, "actual real world events" were typically covered in social studies class, not history class.

truly one the greats. r.i.p.

why not try getting a refund or replacement from the seller first? personally, i'd only contact mosaic if i was now willing to purchase the set from them. yes, mosaic has wonderful customer service, but why take advantage of that?

i respect where you're coming from, but i think bluerein expressed an opinion that's been brought up before. jmd registered here over a year ago and has shown no interest in our "community" other than as a place to do business. afaik, no other member has ever done this, and requests for jmd to become more involved on the board have been ignored. i'm only one person (albeit one with superhuman powers of insight and hypocrisy), but i would like to urge jmd again to be an active member of this community if he wants to continue selling his wares here. it's a practice that everyone else follows, and one that i don't feel should be ignored just because of an offer of free shipping.

HALLELUJAH BROTHER!

by all means. let's save the attacks for long-time members of the community who ask the going price for rare items.