When I’m playing, my guitar is my voice.Sometimes it’s hard to find the song you are looking on YouTube channel. “That is what has kept my playing so fluid for years,” he says. Rehearsing is more like personalizing what he knows, bonding with his instrument. “He said, ‘I took my organ into my garage and I stayed there for months at a time and then one day everything I could think of, I could play, and I knew it was time to come out of the garage.’ ”īenson follows the same philosophy. When talking about both instruments, Benson recalls the words of the late jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Songs and Stories, Give Me the Night and many of the others are the work of a man who erases the space separating his voice and his guitar. He wanted to make sure my records meant something in all those markets.” “He wanted to hit all those notes, and we did and we won Grammys. “Quincy raised an instrumental issue when we were making the Give Me the Night album,” Benson says. Night netted him three of his 10 Grammy Awards. While he was already mixing the three genres, it was with the Quincy Jones- produced Give Me the Night album that Pittsburgh-born Benson, 66, realized the power of blending those styles. Songs and Stories is similar to Benson’s 1970s and 1980s records in that it blends R&B, jazz and pop. We picked guys we thought would make a difference.” The stories, the messages in the songs are essential. “It all starts with one great song, like ‘Family Reunion’ by Rod Temperton, who wrote ‘Give Me the Night’ for me. “I noticed that over the years my best and memorable songs are from great songwriters that understood what messages we wanted to bring across,” he says.
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Like the man who plays and sings them, the tracks on Songs and Stories are sophisticated, rhythmic and full of Benson’s warm, charming demeanor. The just-released CD includes his take on James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” Zapp’s “Nuthin’ but a Party,” Tony Joe White’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” and a beautiful instrumental rendition of Christopher Cross’ “Sailing.” It also boasts fresh compositions from respected songwriters Rod Temperton (“Family Reunion”), Lamont Dozier (“Living in High Definition”) and Bill Withers (“A Telephone Call Away”). Classic George Benson albums include 1976’s Breezin’, 1978’s Weekend in L.A., 1980’s Give Me the Night, 1989’s Tenderly and 2006’s Givin’ It Up with Al Jarreau. Translating to record has been difficult, but we’ve done it.”Īnd he’s done it many times.
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I know audiences and I know how to get that interest. Then there’s his voice, a robust R&B timbre with the flexibility to scat one minute and croon the next. “I always try to play what I feel more than what I know,” he says. Like Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, Benson’s picking is instantly recognizable. He makes the six-string guitar sound fluid and soulfully jazzy. “I put so much time on each instrument,” he says by phone from Paradise Valley, Ariz.īenson’s guitar playing is distinctive. George Benson’s new CD shows warmth of his guitar and voiceīy MARIO TARRADELL Music Critic George Benson whether he’s a guitarist or a vocalist first and he’ll simply answer, “Both.” American Express is the exclusive payment method for presale packages.įor more information visit the Grammy Museum website.Ĭategory: News, UncategorizedTags: Grammy Museum, Interview, News, Songs And Stories | Comments (1) Doors open at 6:30pm, so guests have the opportunity to tour the Museum beforehand. LIVE (7:00-8:00pm), and a copy of the album Songs and Stories. American Express presale package is $35 and includes program tickets, a cocktail reception at The Farm of Beverly Hills at L.A. After the interview, Benson will take questions from the audience.Īll proceeds benefit The GRAMMY Museum. Before an intimate audience of 200, hear Benson in conversation about his storied career, musical influences, and new CD, Songs and Stories. Join Executive Director Robert Santelli as he interviews guitar legend and jazz master George Benson in the Museum’s state-of-the-art GRAMMY ® Sound Stage. James won a pair of tickets to the Grammy Museum event on Thursday, Septem8:00pm
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