GEORGE BENSON IN CONCERT:
George Benson brings his gifted guitar playing and sonorous voice to every stage he graces, consistently impressing fans at his live performances with his soulful and swinging jazz sound. In concert Benson unleashes a furious flurry of melodic guitar mastery on supercharged renditions of standards like “Take Five”, “On Broadway”, and the perennial favorite “This Masquerade”. He’s also a skilled band leader, hanging back with his infectious smile as he lets the talented members of his top-notch ensemble execute moving, eloquent solos. Ticket buyers can expect a jaw-dropping display of six-string showmanship every time George Benson brings his funky and fluid fretwork on tour.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Pittsburgh-born George Benson was a child prodigy who had already cut his first single by the age of ten. He spent the remainder of his adolescence training under organist Jack McDuff before making his debut as a bandleader with the 1964 album The New Boss Guitar of George Benson. He continued to climb the ranks of the jazz world, even appearing on the track “Paraphernalia” from Miles Davis’ 1968 album Miles in the Sky. The virtuosic Benson scored a huge crossover hit in 1976 when he pulled double-duty on vocals and guitar for “This Masquerade”, which took home the Grammy for Record of the Year. With the encouragement of Quincy Jones, Benson explored vocals during the ‘70s and ‘80s, leading to the most commercially successful period of his career. He returned to his instrumental jazz roots at the dawn of the ‘90s and toured with renowned contemporaries like Chet Atkins and Al Jarreau into the new millennium. Ten Grammys and countless breathtaking solos later, George Benson still gives audience members an unparalleled listening experience with his amazing instrumental prowess and undeniable grooves.
