![]() ![]() With a career as vast and deep as George Benson’s, narrowing it down to five essential recordings is just scratching the surface. Word of this virtuosity spread, and soon he was offered the chance to record. Benson’s own path to fame involved gruelling nights on the road away from his hometown of Pittsburgh. Each took their blues-infused jazz to sophisticated new heights. There’s a direct line from Charlie Christian through Wes Montgomery to George Benson. Pictures from his youth show George Benson holding the instrument like a lad who was born to play. It was then that two love affairs were born: Tom Collier became George’s stepfather and first musical mentor, and young George Benson fell hard for the guitar. As soon as the man left the room, George ran to the instrument. One day, a man came calling and told George not to touch the guitar he’d brought to serenade the boy’s mother. Growing up with a single mother, the young George knew he loved music but couldn’t warm up to the old piano in their living room. ![]() Looking back to his earliest days, Benson seemed destined for greatness as a child prodigy. George Benson first made it to the top of the pops in the 1970s, scoring multiplatinum with his smooth singing and superb musicianship. By Danny Marks George Benson Austin Hargrave These five albums show his exemplary ability to cultivate crossover appeal while still honouring the spirit of jazz. George Benson was born to play the guitar.
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