George Benson has a difficult tightrope to walk whenever he performs in concert. Because of his unique artistry, he has been able to not only earn the respect of jazz fans, but, like Alexander the Great, he has conquered numerous worlds such as R&B, soul and pop. Along with Louis Armstrong and Nat “King” Cole, George Benson is one of the few jazz artists who is a master of not only a musical instrument, but as a singer, appealing to guitar freaks and disco queens.
So how does an artist like Benson satisfy such a wide swath of fans in a single performance? Like the classic 1960s Ed Sullivan Show, he delivers a little bit of everything for everyone, making everyone satisfied and opening their ears to the other worlds of Big Bad Benson.
For the jazzers, Benson opened up with a pair of sizzling instrumentals like “Affirmation” which displayed the chops and styles that have influenced generations of subsequent axe grinders. The six piece band directed by keyboardist David Garfield, was able to support Benson with the in sync elasticity that enabled him to croon love songs such as “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You” and the ballad “In Your Eyes.” Benson and company then went into a bebop mode as he did a hip vocalese read of “Moody’s Mood For Love” before scatting to a riveting 8 to the bar boogie.
Then, there’s nothing like the red meat of the hit “Breezin’” to show the difference between jazz “smooth” jazz and jazz that’s played smoothly, as Benson had the strings bend and snap like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. “Mambo Inn” smoked like a Cuban cigar, just before Benson brought the house down with a delicate guitar performance of “Don’t Know Why” and then went deep into country roots with a riveting version of “Witchita Lineman.”
For the fans who wanted to dance, Benson burned with a closing “Give Me The Night” that made him turn his Ibanez into an AK 47. The encore “On Broadway” demonstrated the apotheosis of his talents, as the infectious groove pleased the pop fans while the jaw dropping mix of his singing along to an erudite guitar solo showed that music can please both fans of all styles, all on one song, spread out through one 90 minute concert. Who else living can make that claim?
Upcoming shows at the Saban/Canyon Club include Pat Boone Mar 25, Jean-Luc Ponty June 3 & 8 and Buddy Guy July 27