I was standing in line at the North American Music Makers (NAMM) Convention to get George Benson’s signature on a pickguard. There were dozens of people in front of me and hundreds behind me. As we waited people in the queue reminisced about Benson. Many fans appeared to be about my age and had stories about how they “discovered” him back in 1976 when his hit crossover album “Breezin’” was released. Some also recalled his hit single “On Broadway” from 1978 - a cover of a 1963 hit by The Drifters. Others recalled his 1969 album of “Abbey Road” Beatles covers called “The Other Side of Abbey Road.”
By 1969, Benson had fallen in with some amazing musicians and his music reflected it. On “The Other Side of Abbey Road” Herbie Hancock played keyboards, Ron Carter played bass and, among the cast of “A” list sidemen, Hubert Laws played flute. Benson had found a niche of doing covers of other people’s hit music with a top notch jazz band and had cemented his relationships with the “creme de la creme” of modern jazz. These artists would frequently sit in with George on his later albums.
As a modern jazz guitarist George Benson is unparalleled. His music often takes rock of the day and gives it smooth jazz class. He is a guitar virtuoso and this has allowed him to crossover and meld genres. He has recorded jazz versions of the Monkees’ hit “Last Train To Clarksville,” Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade,” War’s “The World Is A Ghetto,” Seals and Crofts’ “Summer Breeze,” Eric Clapton’s “Let It Rain,” and Darryl Hall’s “Everytime You Go Away” in addition to dozens of other rock tunes. He has also recorded jazz standards by Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, James Moody and a host of other jazz masters. Benson has written and recorded his own music. Best of all, for us, he has been doing it since he was 8 years old in 1951 and has a large library of recordings.
It is funny how there is so much you want to say to an artist, especially one like Benson whose musical skills leave you in awe, but when approached you cannot put a simple sentence together. When I met him I could only come up with praise and niceties. The man is a gentleman. He helped me calm down and then we slowly discussed why I wanted him to sign a pickguard. It was for Guitars not Guns to auction. That is how the organization funds its not for profit work. Guitars not Guns is an organization that provides guitars and guitar lessons to foster kids and at-risk youth as an alternative to violence. Benson was impressed. He wanted to know more and he wanted to help. He signed the pickguard as I blathered on almost incoherently until my time with the guitar hero was up.
I left the line and made my way to the Ibanez guitar exhibit. Benson has been endorsed by Ibanez guitars since the 1980’s. I walked around in a fog, sat down next to a display of Ibanez acoustic guitars, and listened to another guitarist who was trying the guitars out. The guitarist asked me what I thought about the guitar he was playing. I again blathered on about just having met George Benson and that I hadn’t really been listening too closely. He seemed amused and he asked if I played guitar. I told him I did and he handed me the guitar and again asked my opinion. I played a little bit and nodded with approval giving the instrument the “Old School” endorsement. I asked him who he was and what type of music he intended to play on the instrument. He laughed a bit and told me he was Michael O’Neill, the rhythm guitarist with Benson’s touring band. I went from blathering to dumbstruck. We spoke for several minutes about Benson, his music and the band. He told me that I should really listen to some of Benson’s more obscure releases. He has recorded 35 or so albums. O’Neill advised that the obscurities is where you truly hear the guitar master. Our conversation ended. We shook hands and went our separate ways.
I returned home and, shortly thereafter, a re-issue of George Benson’s 1971 album release “White Rabbit” appeared in my mailbox. Talk about obscure. Here was Benson performing jazz versions of “White Rabbit,” the hit by the Jefferson Airplane written by the the San Francisco rock band Great Society; “Theme From Summer Of ‘42,” the Michel Legrand instrumental from the 1971 hit movie; “Little Train,” a masterpiece by the early 20th century Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos; “California Dreamin’,” the 1965 hit by The Mamas and the Papas; and “El Mar,” a George Benson original. I had never before heard this album.
Michael O’Neill was absolutely right. Forget the hokeyness of the particular selections. This is jazz played by the masters. The song titles are merely suggestions for where Benson starts his instrumental explorations. He is accompanied by some of the best jazz musicians to ever grace the planet. Jay Berliner, a jazz guitarist with a penchant for Spanish guitar who played for Charles Mingus, Stephane Grappeli and Milt Jackson, and on recordings for everyone from Frank Sinatra to Andrea Bocelli, accompanies Benson on acoustic guitar and gives the entire recording a classical Spanish feel. The guitar master Earl Klugh also plays acoustic on Benson’s “El Mar.” Ron Carter plays bass. Herbie Hancock plays piano. Billy Cobham mans the drum kit. Percussion master Airto Moreira adds his talents and occasional vocals. Phil Kraus plays vibes and helps out on percussion (Kraus is a xylophone legend who can be heard on many a Percy Faith, Hugo Wintherhalter, and Benny Goodman album. and whose musical career dates back before his appearances on “Your Show Of Shows,” “Ed Sullivan” and “Jackie Gleason.”) Benson also employs the late classical harp master Gloria Agostin; a woodwinds section that includes Phil Bodner, Hubert Laws, George Marge, Romeo Penque and Jane Taylor; and a brass section that consists of Wayne Andre, Jim Buffington, John Frosk and Alan Rubin.
This album focuses on a side of Benson rarely heard in his hit music. Gone is his smooth jazz persona. This is exploratory jazz performed by virtuosos. It precedes Miles Davis’ 1972 “Bitches Brew” by a year but is clearly a precursor and inspiration for that historic album.
Listen to this album. Afterward, you too may find yourself blathering as you stand in line for an autograph.
- Old School
buy here: White Rabbit
