Description
George Benson is a first rank jazz guitarist. Like Grant Green and Kenny Burrell who preceded him in organist Brother Jack McDuff’s seminal group and like his greatest influence Wes Montgomery, Benson swings hard and spins long creative solos with ease.
In the years leading up to this live performance, producer Creed Taylor made a string of albums with Benson, including Shape Of Things To Come (1968), Beyond The Blue Horizon (1971) and White Rabbit (1972), all of which display George’s great jazz chops on highly commercial and over-arranged material.
Like many artists who were produced to death in the studio, live George Benson was an entirely different prospect. Unconstrained, in front of a receptive night club audience and backed by a first-rate rhythm section Benson reverts to jazz repertoire and swings like a demon.
On this occasion rhythm duties are performed by Mickey Tucker on piano, Georges Duvivier on bass & Al Harewood, drums. Performed at the Casa Caribe Club, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1973 and broadcast by National Public Radio.
