A jaunty funk and swing aesthetic prevailed.Д«y the time legendary talent scout John Hammond signed Benson to Columbia, the guitarist's name was bubbling throughout the industry. Benson's tone was juicy, and his blues solos sparkled with a carefully honed logic. Benson had both the conviction and chops to nip at his hero's heels his 1964 debut was released as The New Boss Guitar. Montgomery had called one of his best records Boss Guitar. But I really like when people kick up their heels and go crazy.' The intellectual stuff that came later on?Charlie Parker and all that?turned toward a brainier sound.

'A lot of the jazz tunes we played together were danceable, and that furthered my understanding of what people wanted.

'Jack turned me on to a lot of stuff,' muses Benson. 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. 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. But that doesn't change my desire to entertain folks. As my career has progressed, I've had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. 'I was an entertainer first,' he says proudly 'As a kid I sang, danced, and played the ukulele in a nightclub. That's where his yen to please a crowd was born. 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.ДЇew 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. He has consistently placed his keenly discerning art in the service of a rousing good time. Appreciated as both a musician and performer by millions, George Benson has always had the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer.

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