George Benson shows how Smooth Jazz is played for International Guitar Month
George Benson was a child prodigy. At age seven, he was playing ukulele at a street-corner drug store. A year later he was playing guitar in nightclubs on weekends.
By the age of twenty, he found his niche as a Jazz guitarist. He reached the peak of his popularity in the mid-1970s when Smooth Jazz became mainstream.
His album “Breezin’” sold three million copies and was nominated for a Grammy award for Album of the Year. The single “This Masquerade” won the Grammy for Record of the Year. It went to number 1 on the Jazz, R&B and pop charts. Here is the album’s title track:
Benson was clearly influenced by Wes Montgomery. You can hear it in this live tribute to Wes in “We All Remember Wes” from his “Weekend in L.A. album.
At age 81, George Benson’s legacy has been for a long time. In addition to his thirty-six studio and five live albums, he’s received ten Grammy Awards. You can still find him playing live concerts throughout the United States.
Next weekend: Legendary women who play guitar.