George Benson is a renowned American jazz guitarist, singer, and songwriter, born on March 22, 1943, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With a career spanning over six decades, Benson has successfully navigated between jazz and popular music, earning acclaim as both an innovative jazz guitarist and a chart-topping R&B vocalist.
Benson demonstrated musical talent from a very young age. By the age of seven, he was playing ukulele at a corner drugstore, and by eight, he was playing guitar in an unlicensed nightclub on weekends. At nine, he recorded his first single, "She Makes Me Mad," for RCA Victor.
As a youth, Benson honed his skills in straight-ahead instrumental jazz while performing with organist Jack McDuff. He cites jazz legends like Eddie Jefferson, Charlie Parker, and Grant Green as early influences.
In 1964, at age 21, Benson recorded his first album as a leader, "The New Boss Guitar of George Benson." He followed this with "It's Uptown" (1966) and "The George Benson Cookbook" (1967), showcasing his exceptional ability to construct swinging bebop lines at blistering tempos.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Benson established himself as a formidable jazz guitarist, collaborating with renowned artists like Ron Carter, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Freddie Hubbard. The jazz community highly regarded his early recordings, viewing him as the heir to Wes Montgomery's style following Montgomery's death in 1968.
Benson's breakthrough into mainstream success came with the 1976 album "Breezin'," which featured the hit single "This Masquerade." The album became the first jazz album to go platinum and topped the pop, jazz, and R&B charts simultaneously. Benson's signature scat-singing style, where he matches his vocals to his guitar solos note for note, was showcased in "This Masquerade."
Following "Breezin'," Benson continued releasing successful pop-oriented albums throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, with hit singles including:
Despite his pop success, Benson faced criticism from some jazz purists. However, by the late 1980s and 1990s, he returned to traditional jazz recordings, reaffirming his prowess as a jazz guitarist.
Throughout his illustrious career, Benson has released:
He has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Benson is renowned for his warm singing voice, innovative guitar playing, and his skill in blending jazz with R&B and pop styles. His guitar style combines urban-blues consciousness, blistering technique, rhythmic freedom, and sophisticated melodies and harmonies.
As a vocalist, Benson is known for his velvet high tone and his skill in scat singing, often aligning his voice with his guitar solos. His approach skillfully incorporates elements of R&B and soul into the jazz idiom.
George Benson is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. His ability to cross over to pop music while maintaining his jazz credentials makes him a unique figure in American music. In 2009, Benson was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master, the nation's highest honor in jazz.
Benson continues to perform and record, maintaining a busy touring schedule well into his 80s. His most recent album, "Walking to New Orleans," released in 2019, demonstrates his enduring creativity and relevance in the music industry.
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