George Benson

In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, the legendary George Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other styles that have given him a wonderfully broad mainstream appeal.  Along the way he has also established himself as a formidable jazz singer, with some of his biggest career hits featuring his lush vocals.  But his new album Guitar Man is just what the title implies; a project that highlights Benson’s unparalleled guitar playing, perhaps more than any other album he has released in decades.

This 12-song collection includes a mix of jazz and pop standards – some in a combo setting and some solo, but all of them tied together seamlessly by Benson’s soulful and exploratory signature sound.  “People categorize things because they need to find someplace to put them on their shelf,” says Benson of his choices for this album.  “It’s all music to me.  I think a lot of pop tunes that were very big in the United States many years ago were recorded by jazz musicians playing in the background.  Most of the Motown records were recorded that way.  Those guys were jazz musicians who were living in Detroit and were called to do a job, and they did it very well…I try to do the same thing.”