George Benson: From 8-Year-Old Club Gigger to Jazz Guitar Legend
In my opinion, the greatest jazz guitarist that ever lived, George Benson, boasts one of the most extraordinary careers in music history. For instance, he started gigging in an unlicensed nightclub at just 8 years old!
In 1954, George released his first single under the name Little Georgie. His first proper album, The New Boss Guitar of George Benson, arrived in 1964. This was a collaboration with his mentor Jack McDuff. While this album didn’t feature any famous tunes, it marked the beginning of what would soon become a legendary career.
Before his breakthrough in 1976, George released 13 albums, showcasing his skills with classic jazz covers such as:
- Summertime (1966)
- Ain’t That Peculiar (1966)
- A Foggy Day (1966)
- Stormy Weather (1966)
- All Of Me (1967)
- Sunny (1968)
- Walk On By (1968)
- Billie’s Bounce (1968)
- Last Train To Clarksville (1968)
- (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (1968)
- People Get Ready (1968)
- Land Of 1000 Dances (1969)
- My Cherie Amour (1969)
- Come Together (1970)
- Here Comes The Sun (1970)
- Something (1970)
- So What (1971)
- California Dreamin’ (1972)
- Take Five (1974)
- Take The ‘A’ Train (1974)
- Hold On, I’m Comin’ (1976).
Up until this point, George had established himself as a jazz guitarist who covered well-known tunes, released numerous albums, and dabbled in scat singing. He was primarily known for his instrumental work, with only occasional vocal appearances.
In my opinion, his best album during these years doesn’t feature any chart-topping hits and is entirely instrumental. Body Talk (1973) is a must-listen for anyone appreciating his genius.
Throughout this period, George worked with record labels such as Prestige, Columbia, Verve, A&M, and CTI.
George Benson: The Voice That Propelled Him to Stardom
In 1976, George Benson signed with Warner Bros. and recorded Breezin’, one of the most successful jazz albums of all time. The album featured the title track and This Masquerade, which became Benson’s first big hit. Both of these tunes were covers, but it was the smooth vocals of Benson on This Masquerade that helped propel him to mainstream success.
Although Benson had occasionally sung on his previous albums, his former label (CTI) had discouraged him from singing, preferring he focus on scat-singing alongside his incredible guitar improvisations. But with Breezin’, his vocal performance truly resonated with the masses, and the album went on to sell 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
The album also included Affirmation, a classic tune by José Feliciano, further solidifying Benson’s crossover appeal. His next release on Warner Bros., In Flight (1977), sold a million copies, but it didn’t produce any major hits. That came the following year with the live album Weekend In L.A., which featured his take on On Broadway, a Drifters tune that became a live show staple.
The album also included his rendition of The Greatest Love Of All, originally released for the movie The Greatest, which was later covered by Whitney Houston and became one of her biggest hits.
In 1979, Benson followed up with Livin’ Inside Your Love, where he revisited classic cover songs like A Change Is Gonna Come and Unchained Melody. But it was the early ’80s that saw his next huge hit with Give Me The Night, written by Rod Temperton (who also worked on Michael Jackson’s Thriller), and produced by the legendary Quincy Jones.
George Benson: Evolving Sound and Lasting Legacy
After the success of another Greatest Hits album, George Benson made his return in 1982 with a smash hit, In Your Eyes. The album also featured a duet with Chaka Khan, showcasing his increasing focus on singing. By this time, his musical direction had shifted from his jazz improvisation roots, and the production of his albums was noticeably more polished and mainstream. As a result, some of his earlier jazz fans began to turn against him, feeling he had sacrificed his credibility as a jazz guitarist for pop success.
Perhaps as a response, Benson’s next album, Pacific Fire, marked a return to his CTI-era sound. He released previously unreleased, more raw recordings, including an instrumental version of Knock On Wood, which was less slick than his more recent work. Following that, I Got A Woman And Some Blues featured covers of blues standards, including a rendition of Ray Charles’ I Got A Woman.
In 1985, Benson returned to more commercial production with 20/20. This album included the original version of Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You, a song later covered by teenage heartthrob Glenn Medeiros, turning it into a global hit.
After 20/20, Benson spent several years releasing albums without any major hits. However, in 1989, Tenderly brought him back into the spotlight with notable tracks like Here, There And Everywhere (a Beatles cover) and the jazz standard Stella By Starlight.
The ’90s saw Benson continue his career with a series of studio albums, but none produced major chart successes. In 2006, he covered Summer Breeze, and in 2013, he released an entire album of Nat King Cole covers, including Smile, Route 66, Unforgettable, and Mona Lisa.
Benson’s most recent release, Walking To New Orleans (2016), features classics such as Chuck Berry’s Nadine and You Can’t Catch Me, as well as Fats Domino’s Ain’t That A Shame. The album is a testament to Benson’s incredible skill and longevity, proving that after more than 60 years as a recording artist, he still has plenty to offer.
George Benson Tunes | Related Pages
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| C | G/B | Bb | F F C/E Dm |
Looking out on the morning rain, I used to feel so uninspired…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: A Natural Woman (Aretha Franklin) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
A Change Is Gonna Come | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, chord analysis, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| G | G | Am | Em |
I was born by the river, in a little tent, oh and just like that river I’ve been…
Start learning with the full lesson series: A Change Is Gonna Come – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
All Of Me | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play All Of Me by Frank Sinatra using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | D7 | D7 |
All of me, why not take all of me…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: All Of Me (the Real Book) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Come Together | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Come Together by The Beatles using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Dm | Dm |
Here come old flat top, he come grooving up slowly…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Come Together (The Beatles) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Give Me The Night | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Give Me The Night by George Benson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Fm7 Bbm7 | Cm7 Dbmaj7 |
Whenever dark has fallen…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Give Me The Night (George Benson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Hold On, I’m Comin’ | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Hold On, I’m Comin’ by Sam & Dave using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 |
Don’t you ever, be sad. Lean on me, when the times are bad…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Hold On, I’m Comin’ (Sam & Dave) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Knock On Wood | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Knock On Wood by Eddie Floyd using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, the original recording, and cover versions.
| A6 | A6 | A6 | A6 |
I don’t want to lose, this good thing, that I got…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
On Broadway | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play On Broadway by George Benson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 | Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 |
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: On Broadway (George Benson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Summertime | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Summertime by Billie Holiday using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C | Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C |
Summertime and the living is easy…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Summertime (Billie Holiday) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Sunny | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Sunny by Bobby Hebb using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F#m7b5 B7 |
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sunny (Bobby Hebb) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
George Benson on the web
