Wes got nailed for venturing into the pop realm, so did George. For their talent they deserved large monetary rewards. They are both icons. George is a living jazz legend, probably the most soulful jazz guitarist around.
George Benson is a jazz master in elegant company with McCoy Tyner and a superb rhythm section here. When George plays straight out jazz he is remarkable, and it seems to me that McCoy inspires him here to pull out all stops. Great performance.
Great phrasing - and an impressive array of techniques, such as glissando, raking sweeps, cross-picking and legato - all of which are second nature to a fertile imagination - there's a lifetime of music being expressed here - Benson is his own man every time, and it's pointless trying to compare others to him - I knew this years ago when I first heard him as a 19 year old playing with Brother Jack McDuff - he should be an inspiration to anyone who has a genuine interest in jazz guitar
How can you hate someone's music when you haven't even listened to it fully? That's like a doctor diagnosing a patient without even doing tests. "Well you look like you have cancer."
This video is a dream come true for me - my favorite guitarist matched up with my favorite piano player. Plus it's nice to see George Benson playing along with musicians who are his equal, rather than him blowing away everyone else on the stage. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy his "smooth jazz" style instrumentals too, but Benson doesn't get a lot of opportunities to get down to business and go back to his roots as a hardcore jazz guy, and it's great to see him back in his element here. Now the only thing missing is a video of George Benson jamming with Pat Martino!
All outstanding musicians. What more can you say about George Benson. He is, what he wants to be...... and that happens to be outstanding! It's very healthy to keep your mind active,... in all aspects of life.
They both live in Scottsdale Arizona and a few years back they were known to jam together at Bobby C'S in Phoenix. Joey's father used to perform there quite a bit. HAVE A DIAMOND EVENING!!!
regardless of what anyone thinks of his 'sound' he's the master of the 'effortless' approach which should be studied and praised. Thanks for the vid jazzster
mudywater1, you hit the nail on the head! these truly are world class musicians, who know exactly where the tune is at all times during their improv! CSHARP57 summed if up in one word.. MASTERFUL!!!
When they hit the pop market, they made many, many more people aware of their great music. I had been getting George's albums for 10 years or so before "This Masquerade". A friend of mine (blues player) heard it when it first came out and told me he wanted to hip me to a "new" guitarist/singer. I'm just glad he sort of "got" it.
Comparisons are pointless. George Benson is pure music. He one of the most gifted guitarists to have graced the planet. He possesses an unnatural level of skill, always plays melodically, and with harmonic and linear sophistication and finesse. As if that isn't enough, he has so much feel and fluidity to his sound - notes literally burst off his guitar. The world is better place because he lives and plays.
I wish this were available on DVD! George is smoking the hell out of that guitar! Then he sits back and chills while Mr. Tyner takes over with a solid solo on the piano
None stop soloing one run flowing into the other blues licks riff runs pentatonic scales flowing out of the mahogany neck it’s just beautiful I love jazz!!!!!
Très belle ballade musicale et romantique pour le thème principal, dans le long-métrage, « La Falaise Mystérieuse », dans le style de "Rebecca " d’Alfred Hitchcock et adapté dans un noir et blanc plein de suspens. Le thème "Stella by Starlight" est signé du compositeur Victor Young, alors très connu à Hollywood, avec des paroles adaptées par la suite par Ned Washington, où d’innombrables musiciens y ont rajouté leur talent . Quant à l'interprétation de cette oeuvre magistrale : Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Anita O’Day, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, George Shearing, Robert Glasper…etc ...Quelle beauté et quel groove dans cette sublime interprétation revisitée par ce quartet de talent ... ..J'ai eu la chance de voir McCoy Tyner sur scène lors d'un festival de Jazz et croyez moi que je n'ai jamais oublié cet artiste fort sympathique et très talentueux !! Avec McCoy Tyner-piano, George Benson-guitar, Avery Sharpe-bass, Aaron Scott-drums !
In my opinion, the LP Absolute Benson is a pretty powerful blend of the two worlds of Benson: the songs have catchy melodies and aren't that deamanding to listen to, while George and his crew play wonderfully progressed, adventurous solos, with a little blues flavor of course. The album is fantastic for both listening and jamming to.
Benson and Tyner is an excellent combination. Wow, Benson playing is absolutely exquisite. His soloing is so smooth and precise like the precision that Jet Li carries with his Wushu Martial Art forms and stances. What a brilliant performance.
I completely agree 3shiftgtr. Drummers of this calliber have graduated from marking time to playing around their own inner drummer, using polyrhythms, non-constant high-hat, etc. It can be disconcerting as a young player (out of which I hope I'm fast growing) and one can get lost a lot, but once you learn to feel the underlying and almost unstated groove, so much incredible and almost overpoweringly emotional music happens.
This is a great clip. Thanks for posting. I have been seeing these guys in both concerts and clubs for over 35 years and they are some of my favorite musicians.
I just got through listening to george benson - Take Five 1976 Montreux 1986, terrific, and I recognized the melody throughout the piece, also enjoyed the other, also very important, variational stuff.
True, Grant Green was pure funky, and a great soloist. I still remember his version of "Ain't It Funky Now". I was reading a guitar mag a few years ago where George Benson said Grant Green could shred and hold his own with ANY other jazz guitarist of his time or since.
@ Discohank: Hey, eleven years on.... you doing OK? Hope so. Grant Green was a brilliant player, an all-time great himself, who had the misfortune of having the prime of his career overlap two other higher-profile players, namely Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Green was a special player, though, without question. He was one of the most-recorded artists on Blue Note, reflective not of his status as a leader, but an in-demand sideman on the projects of others. Trivia note: Benson and Green before him were "discovered" by the same man who later employed them both - alto sax great Lou Donaldson.
yeah, the ride is standing out because all the highs fq's are bouncing off all the studs on benson's strap. that thing looks like a relic from the spanish inquisition. nice vid. i think the performance is very much in tune with the house. not every gig has to be judged against the pinnacle of earth shattering, cutting edge jazz. it's always a joy to hear the masters play.
great to see that even w/ all his commercial success Benson never gave up the guitar. and I usually don't respond to other posts about who's better than who, but the guy that said there was no one before Benson...please. one only needs to go back a few years before Benson burst on the scene and take a look @ Mr. Wes Montgomery... the end...
Thanks for your comments. Mr. Benson deserves all the recognition he gets. By underrated I meant he shoud get more of it for all he has contributed(and still continues to do so) to jazz.
You have ears to hear, obviously this music is for you or accessible to you, enjoy it. I'll try some of his other tunes, he is very talented and easy to listen to, in any case. I just like Stella by starlight done in a style my ears can enjoy. My ears and their ability to hear are still evolving. I'll give it another listen at a later time.
Love this George Benson and the McCoy Tyner Trio version of this gorgeous Victor Young classic standard for the ages! Let's give some credit to Monsieurs Sharpe and Scott on bass and drums who play exquisitely here. The single best concert I ever saw was George playing at The Jazz Workshop on February 27, 1973 where I sat six feet away from him with his quartet and even special guest that night, Earl Klugh. George smiled the whole evening. (There are some horrific recordings on YT from that night but they do not do sonic justice to the music.) It was a life changing experience for me.
I saw it! It was one of admiration, I think. Cos, from what I can gather, most often players don't give much away when another band member is soloing, cos more often than not they know the way the soloist at the time, plays. So, for me if George is showing anything by his facial expression while Tyner was wailing then you KNOW, it must be feeling it. That's my take on it anyway.
Thank god somebody else realizes this. Hey, there is a record called the tenors of Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef in which I think Avery plays the greatest bass solo I've ever heard!
he's my all time favorite guitarist and the one who inspired me to learn guitar (I'm a bassist). To me, he's one of the few players to really have a direction in his playing. Just like horn players or blues players. I grew up listenin horn players, and most of the time I feel guitar players are zapping from chords to runs, and gimmicks and so on. Grant has that single voice that is ALWAYS right on... no frills, just from the soul. Too bad this type of playin is virtually unseen these days.
Rest in power and peace 🙏
McCoy Tyner
11 December 1938 ~
6 March 2020⚘
Wes got nailed for venturing into the pop realm, so did George. For their talent they deserved large monetary rewards. They are both icons. George is a living jazz legend, probably the most soulful jazz guitarist around.
George Benson is a jazz master in elegant company with McCoy Tyner and a superb rhythm section here. When George plays straight out jazz he is remarkable, and it seems to me that McCoy inspires him here to pull out all stops. Great performance.
I worked across the street from WJZZ in Detroit and listened to all the jazz greats.... among them, McCoy Tyner.
At another job a few years later, I worked overtime many a night and played Love x Love non-stop for hours, times years....jazz addict that I am 🤗
One of the greatest standards ever written. I can't ever bypass it when it comes up in my feed.
Why underrated....Who doesn't think Benson is one of the Jazz Guitar Greats?
Great phrasing - and an impressive array of techniques, such as glissando, raking sweeps, cross-picking and legato - all of which are second nature to a fertile imagination - there's a lifetime of music being expressed here - Benson is his own man every time, and it's pointless trying to compare others to him - I knew this years ago when I first heard him as a 19 year old playing with Brother Jack McDuff - he should be an inspiration to anyone who has a genuine interest in jazz guitar
Well said sir
Benson is amazing, one of greatest ever. It’s impressive how he could be great both as a player and singer, at same level.
The pinnacle of a jazz guitarist!
George Benson, guitar master!
George Benson is one of those musicians who can play a lyrical solo on something that's swinging like hell! Beautiful!
How can you hate someone's music when you haven't even listened to it fully? That's like a doctor diagnosing a patient without even doing tests. "Well you look like you have cancer."
This video is a dream come true for me - my favorite guitarist matched up with my favorite piano player. Plus it's nice to see George Benson playing along with musicians who are his equal, rather than him blowing away everyone else on the stage.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy his "smooth jazz" style instrumentals too, but Benson doesn't get a lot of opportunities to get down to business and go back to his roots as a hardcore jazz guy, and it's great to see him back in his element here.
Now the only thing missing is a video of George Benson jamming with Pat Martino!
hii............... the best melody of all time.... did you transpose to all 12 keys? ove course hi
+1 I feel exactly the same.
This is the george benson that I love to hear..
for me he's kinda like the extension of Wes montgomery to the new age.
It continues to amaze me that Avery Sharpe is seldom mentioned among today's greatest bassists. Tyner and Benson are, of course, gods.
George Benson reminds us of his roots... and what a grasp of roots he still has! x
Pure class. What a combination of talent on one stage!
All outstanding musicians. What more can you say about George Benson. He is, what he wants to be...... and that happens to be outstanding! It's very healthy to keep your mind active,... in all aspects of life.
I was enjoying this so much I didn't want it to end. Just wonderful.
after wes, or WITH wes, THE jazz guitarist ever!! noone can do it better
Absolutely the greatest rendition of this jazz classic.
They both live in Scottsdale Arizona and a few years back they were known to jam together at Bobby C'S in Phoenix. Joey's father used to perform there quite a bit. HAVE A DIAMOND EVENING!!!
He infuses everything with funk, what a great rhythmical player.
one of the most underrated guitar palyers performing today!
regardless of what anyone thinks of his 'sound' he's the master of the 'effortless' approach which should be studied and praised. Thanks for the vid jazzster
mudywater1,
you hit the nail on the head! these truly are world class musicians, who know exactly where the tune is at all times during their improv! CSHARP57 summed if up in one word.. MASTERFUL!!!
Holy smoothness! Reminds me why George reigns supreme and McCoy is just as amazing! Wonderful drumming too!
When they hit the pop market, they made many, many more people aware of their great music. I had been getting George's albums for 10 years or so before "This Masquerade". A friend of mine (blues player) heard it when it first came out and told me he wanted to hip me to a "new" guitarist/singer. I'm just glad he sort of "got" it.
Comparisons are pointless. George Benson is pure music. He one of the most gifted guitarists to have graced the planet. He possesses an unnatural level of skill, always plays melodically, and with harmonic and linear sophistication and finesse. As if that isn't enough, he has so much feel and fluidity to his sound - notes literally burst off his guitar. The world is better place because he lives and plays.
I wish this were available on DVD!
George is smoking the hell out of that guitar! Then he sits back and chills while Mr. Tyner takes over with a solid solo on the piano
None stop soloing one run flowing into the other blues licks riff runs pentatonic scales flowing out of the mahogany neck it’s just beautiful I love jazz!!!!!
Très belle ballade musicale et romantique pour le thème principal, dans le long-métrage, « La Falaise Mystérieuse », dans le style de "Rebecca " d’Alfred Hitchcock et adapté dans un noir et blanc plein de suspens. Le thème "Stella by Starlight" est signé du compositeur Victor Young, alors très connu à Hollywood, avec des paroles adaptées par la suite par Ned Washington, où d’innombrables musiciens y ont rajouté leur talent . Quant à l'interprétation de cette oeuvre magistrale : Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Anita O’Day, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, George Shearing, Robert Glasper…etc ...Quelle beauté et quel groove dans cette sublime interprétation revisitée par ce quartet de talent ...
..J'ai eu la chance de voir McCoy Tyner sur scène lors d'un festival de Jazz et croyez moi que je n'ai jamais oublié cet artiste fort sympathique et très talentueux !! Avec McCoy Tyner-piano, George Benson-guitar, Avery Sharpe-bass, Aaron Scott-drums !
Grand merci pour ces informations ! Ainsi le jazz nous amène au beau cinéma , tandis que le contraire est systématiquement vrai ! 👍👍
after 5 years of using youtube, why have I only seen this now? this is great =)
Holy smoothness! Reminds me why George reigns supreme and McCoy is just as amazing!
Bib Bad George! And McCoy Trios is off the charts
George playing on a 'lawsuit' Ibanez and a Polytone amp is vintage Benson! Heavenly.
His tone is sensational and really cuts through the backing. His runs are exciting and always intruiging. He is my favourite jazz guitar soloist.
The swing just never lets up! Brilliant.
In my opinion, the LP Absolute Benson is a pretty powerful blend of the two worlds of Benson: the songs have catchy melodies and aren't that deamanding to listen to, while George and his crew play wonderfully progressed, adventurous solos, with a little blues flavor of course. The album is fantastic for both listening and jamming to.
Benson and Tyner is an excellent combination.
Wow, Benson playing is absolutely exquisite. His soloing is so smooth and precise like the precision that Jet Li carries with his Wushu Martial Art forms and stances. What a brilliant performance.
Gorgeous George, rides again. Tasty!!!
Benson's voice is as good as his guitar playing...Pure class!!
People can find fault in anything no matter how awesome it is...He plays the guitar at the highest level....nuff said!!!!
They are hard bobping the stella by starlight. Excellent musicians.
AWESOME!!!!!!! Benson and Mc Coy genius!!!!!!
I have tix to see him and his trio in SF Easter Sunday afternoon. Bucket list stuff - can't wait to finally see him.
Yes, Benson is one of my guitar heroes!! He is great!
One of the best
Only one George Benson! His playing is like beautiful musical waterfalls.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I completely agree 3shiftgtr. Drummers of this calliber have graduated from marking time to playing around their own inner drummer, using polyrhythms, non-constant high-hat, etc. It can be disconcerting as a young player (out of which I hope I'm fast growing) and one can get lost a lot, but once you learn to feel the underlying and almost unstated groove, so much incredible and almost overpoweringly emotional music happens.
Great, McCoy and George are beyond great! Hear the changes perfectly.
...oh, and McCoy was kicking some serious butt on that tune as well!
Here the real Benson burning killing smoking my man....Jazz baby...
@AncientFan I wish I was stuck in the middle between pop and jazz. George sounds great no matter what he's doing.
This is a great clip. Thanks for posting.
I have been seeing these guys in both concerts and clubs for over 35 years and they are some of my favorite musicians.
Ok oK OK !!!! Merveilleux moment de jazz ! Balèze Benson !!
This guy is a really "guitar hero"....! always amazing and even before the cradle! thanks!
all jazz musicians eventually end up playing this song--it has so many delights harmonically/melody
I love you, George
EVERYONE!!! listen to "The George Benson Cookbook", and "It's Uptown w/ The George Benson Quartet"....HIS BEST WORK, PERIOD!
I just got through listening to george benson - Take Five 1976 Montreux 1986, terrific, and I recognized the melody throughout the piece, also enjoyed the other, also very important, variational stuff.
True, Grant Green was pure funky, and a great soloist. I still remember his version of "Ain't It Funky Now". I was reading a guitar mag a few years ago where George Benson said Grant Green could shred and hold his own with ANY other jazz guitarist of his time or since.
@ Discohank: Hey, eleven years on.... you doing OK? Hope so. Grant Green was a brilliant player, an all-time great himself, who had the misfortune of having the prime of his career overlap two other higher-profile players, namely Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Green was a special player, though, without question. He was one of the most-recorded artists on Blue Note, reflective not of his status as a leader, but an in-demand sideman on the projects of others. Trivia note: Benson and Green before him were "discovered" by the same man who later employed them both - alto sax great Lou Donaldson.
Beautiful.
Nossa é uma viagem vendo o que ele faz na guitarra, só quem conhece musica de qualidade sabe o que estou falando. Que loucura!!!!!
What a combination! GB is the most articulated guitarist around!!
McCoy Tyner is extraordinary unique artist! Also.Benson.
yeah, the ride is standing out because all the highs fq's are bouncing off all the studs on benson's strap. that thing looks like a relic from the spanish inquisition. nice vid. i think the performance is very much in tune with the house. not every gig has to be judged against the pinnacle of earth shattering, cutting edge jazz. it's always a joy to hear the masters play.
Beautiful. Period.
Amazing
Je to proste Pán hudobník klobúk dole.
George Benson. McCoy Tyner Trio. 'Nuff said. Thanks for the upload. Blessings
Benson is a force of nature. incredible
great to see that even w/ all his commercial success Benson never gave up the guitar.
and I usually don't respond to other posts about who's better than who, but the guy that said there was no one before Benson...please.
one only needs to go back a few years before Benson burst on the scene and take a look @ Mr. Wes Montgomery...
the end...
Thanks for your comments. Mr. Benson deserves all the recognition he gets. By underrated I meant he shoud get more of it for all he has contributed(and still continues to do so) to jazz.
I LOVE me some Mr. Benson!! And the (Alfred) McCoy Tyner Trio is SMOKING TOO!! =)
You have ears to hear, obviously this music is for you or accessible to you, enjoy it. I'll try some of his other tunes, he is very talented and easy to listen to, in any case. I just like Stella by starlight done in a style my ears can enjoy. My ears and their ability to hear are still evolving. I'll give it another listen at a later time.
Love this George Benson and the McCoy Tyner Trio version of this gorgeous Victor Young classic standard for the ages! Let's give some credit to Monsieurs Sharpe and Scott on bass and drums who play exquisitely here. The single best concert I ever saw was George playing at The Jazz Workshop on February 27, 1973 where I sat six feet away from him with his quartet and even special guest that night, Earl Klugh. George smiled the whole evening. (There are some horrific recordings on YT from that night but they do not do sonic justice to the music.) It was a life changing experience for me.
Make that 23 trolls! Amazing solo from George, and McCoy is the MAN on piano
As a young guitarist, growing up in the 60's my "bible" was Pat Martino's EL HOMBRE and George Benson's COOKBOOK.
George=MASTER
He ABSOLUTELY is!!!
Nossa tocar assim é mesmo um Dom de Deus. Tenho meu irmão que tb. ja participou de varios momentos com esse monstro da guitarra. È lindo demais!!!!!
Wow what a show....
Tecnica e feeling ai massimi livelli.Un mito.
Fantastic!
I saw it! It was one of admiration, I think. Cos, from what I can gather, most often players don't give much away when another band member is soloing, cos more often than not they know the way the soloist at the time, plays. So, for me if George is showing anything by his facial expression while Tyner was wailing then you KNOW, it must be feeling it. That's my take on it anyway.
benson is godly amazing......very nice
Sometimes, we forget how much of a beast Mr. GB is
LOVE THIS SONG!!
Great, great artist. Thanks for sharing!
I used to own that same exact model Ibanez guitar he is playing in the video. I think mine was from 1976. Definitely one that got away!
the master of all
Great music from great performers.
Smooth but continual dialogue with all musicians. Masterful!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some clever Donna Lee quotes in his solo.
The pure legend
George Benson can play,smile,talk and take a pis
at the same time....He play since 6....
Thank god somebody else realizes this. Hey, there is a record called the tenors of Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef in which I think Avery plays the greatest bass solo I've ever heard!
he's my all time favorite guitarist and the one who inspired me to learn guitar (I'm a bassist). To me, he's one of the few players to really have a direction in his playing. Just like horn players or blues players. I grew up listenin horn players, and most of the time I feel guitar players are zapping from chords to runs, and gimmicks and so on. Grant has that single voice that is ALWAYS right on... no frills, just from the soul. Too bad this type of playin is virtually unseen these days.
George sure looks like he's having a good time. His "look" at 4:25 is due to the fact that McCoy Tyner has clearly just raised the bar with his solo.