George Benson

by Jeff Charney
(Host of the "Sunday Jazz Brunch" on KPRS 103.3 FM)


George Benson will perform at the second annual 18th & Vine Gala Celebration on Friday, September 11 at the Gem Theater. A versatile musician who plays in nearly any style -- from swing and bop to R&B and pop -- Benson is a not only a brilliant guitar soloist, but one of the best rhythm instrumentalists around.

He is also an excellent vocalist, which, ironically, has proven to be a more marketable skill than his guitar playing.

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, George Benson started playing with Brother Jack McDuff's band while still a teenager. He then formed his own group in 1965 after being discovered by the noted jazz talent scout, John Hammond.

Benson has recorded 65 albums as a leader, and another 90 as a sideman, appearing with such artists as Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. His 1976 album Breezin' was the first jazz record to ever go platinum and it included the hit song, "This Masquerade," which led to a string of other hits, including "On Broadway," "Give Me The Night," "Dreamin'," "Turn Your Love Around," "Livin' Inside Your Love" and "The Greatest Love Of All."

His new single, "Standing Together," is the title track of his latest (and very good) CD. I recently spoke with George about this new album and his upcoming return to Kansas City.

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George Benson

JC: First of all, great album, George.

GB: Thank you.

JC: I see you had Paul Brown, the new guru producer of contemporary jazz, produce this record. What's it like working with him?

GB: Paul's pretty open to ideas. That's what I like about working with him. Also, as you perform (in the studio), he has things to add that make (the songs) communicate across the board. He's always coming up with very contemporary ideas. And, he is very congenial to work with.

JC: Paul has worked with all sorts of people: Bob James, Boney James, Richard Elliot, Richard Smith... What does he bring to the studio that works so well with so many different jazz artists?

GB: He seems to understand what radio is all about and he tries to make that connection with the artist. I've never had a big problem with radio, but things change as you go along in life. Paul has his finger on the fine points (of airplay) and that's what makes him valuable. He points out things that we might not be aware of, because I'm a musician and not a radio person (laughs). And, although I listen to radio, I don't listen to it 24 hours a day like he does. So again, he's very valuable that way.

JC: You don't intentionally record for radio do you?

GB: No, I just perform the songs as I hear them, as I think my audience in a live situation will enjoy them. And I think that's why the song "On Broadway" was so big, because that's my frame of mind anyway, to be in that mode, to play for the public. So that's what my thinking is all about.

JC: You only wrote one song for the new album. How come?

GB: That's all we had time for (laughs). I didn't really have any ideas of my own as far as writing was concern. But I was involved in getting some things off the ground -- like "C-Smooth." It was written by two of the members of my son's band, and they are performing on that cut. And then the song, "Keep Rollin'" was written by my nephew. He sent me the song a couple of years earlier and I sent it back to him; I told him it needed some more work. He sent it back to me later and I said, "Where have I heard this song before?" He said, "Don't you remember? I sent it to you and you said you liked it, but it needed work." So I told him, "Well, now I like it a lot, and I'm going to record it." And he was knocked out of his socks.

JC: So, when you decided to do this album, you went into the studio knowing that you were just going to record other peoples songs. That didn't bother you?

GB: No, I'd rather have a hit written by someone else than have five songs written by me. I didn't write "The Greatest Love Of All," "This Masquerade," or "Give Me The Night." But they were very powerful songs that catapulted my career.

JC: You're coming to Kansas City on September 11th as part of the second annual 18th & Vine District celebration.

GB: That's right.

JC: I'm curious if any of the music that came out of Kansas City when Kansas City was really known for jazz, if any of that music or those musicians had any kind of influence on you.

GB: Of course they did. I think Count Basie was from that part of the world wasn't he?

JC: Originally he was from New Jersey, but he became famous while in Kansas City.

GB: That's right. He was playing with the Moten Band, and that's when John Hammond heard him -- he was on his way from New York to L.A., heard (Basie) play live on the radio, and, when he came back through, signed him and took him to New York. Also, I believe Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson worked there. More than anything else, though, Charlie Parker is my greatest influence from that part of the world. I'm still listening to his records. I listen to them as if they were just recorded last week. He was that good.

JC: Even though Charlie Parker was a sax player and you're a guitar player, you can take what he was doing and incorporate it into your own music?

GB: Charlie Parker changed the whole world. He's the most influential musician of our time. Not only did he influence just about every saxophone player in contemporary music that I know of, at least in the '60s, '70s and '80s, but we've also taken his phrasing. Grant Green is probably the one who benefited the most from him. Although Grant's playing was very unorthodox, he tried his best to phrase like Charlie Parker. I think that was part of his success.

JC: Who are some of the guitar players who have had a big influence on you?

GB: I've loved a lot of them. Charlie Christian was the first, then Wes Montgomery. Kenny Burrell played a big part when I was coming up. And Oscar Moore with the Nat Cole Trio. Also, many others along the way, like Django Reinhardt, Tal Farlow, people like that.

JC: Do you do any teaching?

GB: Young musicians come over to my house all the time. I love hearing what they can do. And I occasionally steal some of their ideas (laughs)... but I mask it so they won't know it when they hear them back (laughs). But it is a pleasure to hear some fresh, new players coming along with their own set of ideas plus some of the things they borrowed from you which they've turned around a little. It's really exciting; and I love encouraging them.

JC: There are lots of good musicians on your new album, "Standing Together." Paul Jackson, Jr., Ricky Peterson, Mike Sims, Larry Kimpel (Jonathan Butler's bass player), Marc Antoine. All are very much a part of the contemporary jazz scene today.

GB: They certainly are. They've made their own way into history, they are making their mark right now. I'm hearing more and more of these players; I've seen the growth of Paul Jackson, Jr. and, boy, what an amazing thing to hear him play. This after he'd been a background artist on so many other records that made stars out of other musicians. He's made a great impression on other guitar players over the years. Ricky Peterson -- who helped write a song for Prince called "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"... and that's just a small part of what he can do -- is a great improviser. He's a lover of R&B and comes from a musical family. He's got a lot of great ideas, so he's great to work with.

JC: Chris King, whose been here at KPRS for many years, was telling me a story about how you came by the station back in the early or mid '70s -- before "This Masquerade" was a hit -- and you guys were sitting in the studio talking about that song and you were sure it wasn't going to go over. Then, when you performed it that night it went over big time. Do you remember much about all that?

GB: I remember before the record came out we felt we had a hot product, but I didn't know how hot it was going to be. There was a controversy about whether we should have put that one vocal on an otherwise wonderful instrumental album. So that was quieted down very much after the record was released and "This Masquerade" leaped to the top of the charts. But, at that time, it was too early to know exactly what was going to happen.

JC: Tell me about your early days playing in Kansas City.

GB: We've been coming to Kansas City for many years -- in the late '60s, in the '70s and '80s -- and I've always realized that it is a great town where people love music. I remember one time we were there staying on one side of town and Curtis Mayfield was coming through, so a lot of people were coming to Kansas City at that time; it was a real Mecca. They had a club downtown where a great organist, a friend of Jack McDuff's, used to play and we would go down there and hang out for their jam sessions on Saturday afternoons. It was a place we looked forward to going to. Kansas City has always had a meaning to me. We've worked clubs on both sides of the border and it's just been a great relationship over the years. They're real music lovers in that part of the world.

JC: Have you heard about Kansas City's new Jazz Museum?

GB: Yes, I have heard about that. And I understand it's getting some popularity. I'm looking forward to visiting it. When I was there last they were encouraging me to go there, but we didn't have the time. And I'm not sure if they were finished building it yet. But I kept seeing Charlie Parker images everywhere; so yes, I'm very anxious to see it.

JC: Do you still have the hunger that you had when you were younger?

GB: For music, yes. I still think there is something that I have not touched yet, and I'm searching for it on a daily basis. And I think that's what keeps our playing alive and keeps me fresh, because I'm still searching for that one formula. I've found a few of them over the years that have really done some great things for us, but I think there's still some more out there, so that's what I do each and every day. I keep searching.

JC: What's your take on the condition of the music industry today?

GB: I can only speak from one point of view. What I see now is a transition. And I don't think anybody knows where it will end up. We constantly get contributions from people who come into the music world like a flash of light from out of nowhere -- with any point of view -- even from the country world, like Garth Brooks. You remember what Prince did to the music industry? And now we've got people coming out of Ireland... So we keep getting these contributions that keep having effects on the whole music business. You have to stay loose in order not to get caught up in a particular tide that might be up now but might disappear in a very short time. So, we try to borrow from the strengths of the good things that are happening.

JC: So, that's why a good producer is very important in your music?

GB: Yes, very important.

JC: How was it working with Tommy LiPuma?

GB: Tommy is an incredible man, a music lover, and he likes organization. I recorded some music for him that had a lot of edges. Tommy smoothed them out (with the London Symphony Orchestra) and we had the album called "Breezin'." And then a follow-up album, "In Flight." Then "Living Inside Your Love," with all that beautiful music. He's also had great success with Natalie Cole and the album she did, "Unforgettable," plus many others. So, he's a very important man to me. He's a man who believes in timeless music.

JC: When Tommy went from Warner Brothers Records to GRP Records is that one of the reasons you also went?

GB: Well, he did call me after he got there and he said, "George, I have a great situation over here; I'm the president." And I said, "What? You're the president? I'm over there!" So, I knew I had a friend at the top of the ladder. And I knew that it was going to be a good situation.

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Catch Jeff Charney's "Sunday Jazz Brunch" every week on KPRS (103.3 FM) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. And feel free to e-mail him at jeffrey@tfs.net. Jeff's web site is at www.kprs.com/jeff.html


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