GEORGE BENSON

'George Benson' (b. March 22 1943, Pittsburgh) is an American musician, whose recording career began at the age of 21 as a jazz guitarist. He is however, better known to the public at large as a Pop/R&B singer, famous for such hits as "Give Me The Night", "Lady Love Me (One More Time)", "Turn Your Love Around", "In Your Eyes" and "This Masquerade", among others.

Contents

Early career

1970s and 1980s

Later and current career

Discography

Albums

Samples

See also

Notes

External links

Early career

Benson was born and raised in the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He now lives in Englewood, New Jersey's Bergen County. Benson started out playing straight-ahead instrumental jazz with organist Jack McDuff. Benson got his first experience playing with his several-year stint with McDuff's group. At the age of 21, Benson recorded his first album as leader, ''The New Boss Guitar'', with Brother Jack McDuff on organ.
Benson's next recording was ''It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet'' with Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax. This album showcases Benson's talent in constructing swinging bebop lines at blistering tempos. Benson followed it up with ''The George Benson Cookbook'', also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber.
Miles Davis employed Benson's talents in the mid 1960s; Benson played guitar on ''Paraphenalia'', which appeared on the trumpeter's 1967 Columbia release, ''Miles in the Sky''. He went to Verve Records for a spell afterwards. Then, Creed Taylor signed him up for his CTI label, where he recorded numerous albums with jazz heavyweights guesting to limited financial success. Benson also did his versions of The Beatles' 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' which he entitled, ''The Other Side Of Abbey Road'' (also released in 1969) and "White Rabbit" (originally written and recorded by San Francisco rockgroup Jefferson Airplane) around this time.

1970s and 1980s

By the mid to late 1970s, as he recorded for Warner Bros. Records (he had recently signed with them), a whole new audience began to discover Benson for the first time. With the 1976 release ''Breezin''' (also the name of a memorable instrumental on the album which became an AM Radio staple), Benson began to put his vocal on some tracks, such as "This Masquerade," which was the first song to make #1 on the Billboard pop, jazz and R&B charts (Benson had used his vocals on some songs earlier in his career, notably his rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" on the ''Other Side of Abbey Road'' record).^[1]


On the strength of "This Masquerade" (it also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year) and the electrifying live take of the classic "On Broadway" recorded about a year later (from the 1977 release ''Weekend in L.A.'' and which also won a Grammy), he was able to crack through via the Pop and R&B Top Ten and as the 1970s wound down, songs such as the aforementioned "Give Me The Night" (which was produced by Quincy Jones), "Turn Your Love Around" and others became big hits for Benson as well. On Warner Bros., Benson accumulated three other platinum LP's and two gold albums.
He also recorded the original version of "Greatest Love of All" for the 1977 Muhammad Ali bio-pic, ''The Greatest'', (which was later recorded successfully as a cover by Whitney Houston).

Later and current career

By the mid 1980s, Benson cooled down a bit on the charts and spent the rest of the decade and the 1990s and up till today, continuing to tour and record music.
In 1985 Benson and guitarist Chet Atkins succeeded on the smooth jazz charts with their collaboration ''"Sunrise,"'' one of two songs from the duo released on Atkins' disc ''"Stay Tuned."'' Producer Mike Poston states Benson and Atkins recorded an entire album's worth of music, but due to disagreements between lawyers for their record companies, the rest of the material has never been released.
In 1992 Benson appeared on Jack McDuff's ''Colour Me Blue'' album.
George Benson will co-headline with Al Jarreau on an international tour to promote their 2006 album "Givin' It Up" where they will perform in S.Africa, Australia and New Zealand in summer 2007.
One of his songs, "Affirmation", was used during the "Gamblers and Gallantry" episode of Samurai Champloo during the brothel escape.
George Benson is considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists of his time.

Discography

''Taken from the .''

Albums

|- align=center
|align=left|'' George Benson/Jack McDuff ''|| 1964 || - ||
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|align=left|'' The New Boss Guitar ''|| 1964 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Benson Burner ''|| 1965 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' This is Jazz, Vol. 9 ''|| 1965 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Its Uptown ''|| 1966 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' George Benson Cookbook ''|| 1966 || - ||
|- align=center
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Blue Benson ''|| 1967 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Willow Weep For Me ''|| 1967 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Giblet Gravy ''|| 1968 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Shape of Things to Come ''|| 1968 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Goodies ''|| 1968 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Tell It Like It Is ''|| 1969 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' The Other Side of Abbey Road ''|| 1969 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' I Got A Woman And Some Blues ''|| 1970 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Beyond the Blue Horizon ''|| 1971 || recorded at ''Van Gelder Studios (NL)'' ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' White Rabbit ''|| 1971 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon Vol. 1 & 2 ''|| 1973 || Live ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Wichcraft ''|| 1973 || Live ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Body Talk ''|| 1973 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Bad Benson ''|| 1974 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' In Concert-Carnegie Hall ''|| 1975 || Live ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Good King Bad ''|| 1975 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Breezin' ''|| 1976 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Benson & Farrell ''|| 1976 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' In Flight ''|| 1977 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Livin' Inside Your Love ''|| 1979 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Weekend in L.A ''|| 1978 || Live
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Space Album ''|| 1978 || - ||
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|align=left|'' In Your Eyes ''|| 1978 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Take Five ''|| 1979 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Cast Your Fate to the Wind ''|| 1980 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Give Me The Night ''|| 1980 || - ||
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|align=left|'' GB ''|| 1981 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' The George Benson Collection ''|| 1981 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Pacific Fire ''|| 1983 || - ||
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|align=left|'' 20-20 ''|| 1984 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Live in Concert ''|| 1984 || Live ||
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|align=left|'' While The City Sleeps… ''|| 1986 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Collaboration ''|| 1987 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Twice the Love ''|| 1988 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Tenderly ''|| 1989 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Big Boss Band ''|| 1990 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Midnight Moods ''|| 1991 || - ||
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|align=left|'' The Essence of George Benson ''|| 1992 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Love Remembers ''|| 1993 || - ||
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|align=left|'' The Most Exciting New Guitarist on the Jazz Scene ''|| 1994 || - ||
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|align=left|'' California Dreamin' ''|| 1996 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Lil Darlin' ''|| 1996 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Thats Right ''|| 1996 || - ||
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|align=left|''Standing Together''|| 1998 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Masquerade ''|| 1998 || - ||
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|align=left|'' The Masquerade Is Over ''|| 1999 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Absolute Benson ''|| 2000 || - ||
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|align=left|'' All Blues ''|| 2001 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Blue Bossa ''|| 2002 || - ||
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|align=left|'' After Hours ''|| 2002 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Irreplaceable ''|| 2004 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Golden Legends Live ''|| 2004 || - ||
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|align=left|'' Jazz After Hours with George Benson ''|| 2005 || - ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Best of George Benson ''|| 2005 || Live ||
|- align=center
|align=left|'' Givin' It Up ''|| 2006 || Al Jarreau/George Benson ||
|}

Samples

★ of "This Masquerade" - originally from ''Breezin' album,^[1] 1976

See also

★ Organ trio, a type of small jazz ensemble in which Benson often performed

★ Ibanez GB-10

★ Smooth Jazz artists

Notes

1. "Breezin'" album information
2. "Breezin'" album information

External links

★ Tour dates

★ George Benson

★ George Benson official homepage

★ George Benson's career on A&M Records with gallery, international discography

★ George Benson Guitar Tabs

★ The Work of Claus Ogerman - George Benson's work with hit arranger/conductor Claus Ogerman is documented here in a pictorial discography of original albums, compilations, and singles - many with explanatory liner notes.

★ George Benson 2006 Interview with Al Jarreau on ''Sidewalks Entertainment''

★ Excellent Interview with George Benson Recorded by NPR's KJZZ