“The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the greatest legends of jazz, soul and popular music in the intimate surroundings of Ronnie Scott’s sold out to club members within six minutes of going on sale. The two shows which will take place on 18th June have been the club’s fastest selling shows to date.” – Music News.com

After four years of touring and developing “An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole,” the legendary George Benson makes his most inspired album: Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole.  Set for release June 4, 2013, this recording is one of the most meaningful of Benson’s career and is a testament to the spirit of Cole’s timeless body of work. Benson’s heartfelt renditions of some of Cole’s greatest songs with Nelson Riddle arrangements and the 42-piece Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra are complemented by duets with Tony Award winner Idina Menzel and rising star Judith Hill, along with a special collaboration with multi-GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Speaking on recording the album Benson says, “I felt every moment of it. You can’t put together a record like this without putting your heart into it. I got that from Nat King Cole. He put his heart into everything he did.”

The careers of Benson and Cole share a similar arc, both establishing themselves first as highly respected instrumentalists before skyrocketing to crossover success once they began sharing their unforgettable voices with the world. Better known as a jazz pianist first, Nat King Cole’s major breakthrough came in 1943 when he added his melting baritone voice to “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” coincidentally the same year of George Benson’s birth. Benson, who had a well-established career as one of the world’s top jazz guitarists, made his major break in the pop world by singing “This Masquerade” and subsequently had the first jazz album to go platinum with Breezin. Yet, both of these remarkable artists remained true to their jazz roots as this album revels with 12 covers of Cole’s most endearing repertoire.

As a dream project for Benson, this album is a love letter to Cole and a tribute in gratitude for his deep musical inspiration.  It also demonstrates how uniquely suited Benson is to recreate and interpret these timeless treasures. Highlights on the album include an adaptation of Nelson Riddle’s arrangement of “Just One of Those Things,” with a signature Benson vocal/guitar scat solo, and Benson’s reading of the original chart of “Nature Boy,” which he previously interpreted and made and a pop hit in the late 70’s.  The album also contains stunning duets with Idina Menzel on “When I Fall In Love,” and Judith Hill on “Too Young,” as well the incomparable trumpet work of Wynton Marsalis on a fresh new arrangement of “Unforgettable.”

The album begins with a rare recording of “Little Georgie Benson” (age 8) singing “Mona Lisa” which stemmed from a singing contest Benson won and the award was the opportunity to record a song at a recording studio. Benson began singing Nat King Cole songs as a child in Pittsburgh and this recording not only shows his incredible range and musicality at the time but also the depth of admiration Benson has had for Cole from such a young age.

Perhaps best know for his contemporary popular music – in multiple genres, Benson has become as iconic in music history as his musical hero Nat King Cole. Creating more than 30 recordings as a leader, winning ten10 Grammy Awards as well as becoming a NEA Jazz Master, George Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the way, he has also established himself as a formidable singer – one whose biggest career hits have showcased his vocals as well as his guitar chops. Benson continues to astound and engage audiences taking his creative expression to new heights. A soulful interpretation, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole is an exemplary work of art, giving reverence to the legacy of jazz and a fitting tribute to an American icon.

For information on tour dates please visit georgebenson.com/tourdates

Complete Track Listing

• Mona Lisa (Little GB)
• Just One of Those Things
• Unforgettable
• Walkin’ My Baby
• When I Fall In Love
• Route 66
• Nature Boy
• Ballerina
• Smile
• Straighten Up and Fly Right
• Too Young
• I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself  A Letter
• Mona Lisa

I’m recording a new Nat King Cole tribute album with an orchestra and would love for you to be a part of it!

George Benson, Albert Hall – review

Guitar Man is out on October 4, 2011! It’s available to pre order now on Amazon. Click here to check it out on Amazon.

Guitar Man will also be available at iTunes on October 4, 2011 + there will be a special deluxe edition with bonus tracks available only at Best Buy, also on October 4!

Enter your email address above to get a free MP3 download of “Danny Boy” from George’s upcoming album Guitar Man

For Immediate Release – On October 4, 2011, National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master and Grammy-winning legend George Benson brings his guitar to the forefront in his newest album Guitar Man. The 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. Lending a hand on this recording is a solid team made up of veterans and newcomers alike – pianist Joe Sample, keyboardist and musical director David Garfield, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Harvey Mason. Williams is one of the hottest up-and-coming new artists on the jazz scene. Mason is a regular member of Fourplay, and a studio collaborator with Benson all the way back to Benson’s 1976 blockbuster album, Breezin’.

In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the way, he has also established himself as a formidable jazz singer – one whose biggest career hits have showcased his vocals. But Guitar Man is just what the title implies – an album that highlights Benson’s unparalleled guitar playing, perhaps more than any other album he has released in decades.

For the new project, the crew came together in the studio with a minimum of prior rehearsal time but an eagerness to jump in and lay down tracks in something very close to the live experience – what Benson describes as an “old school” approach. The impromptu sensibility comes across in the final product, much of which came together with minimal takes in a single day of recording.

“We figured that we would get the best energy if we went into the studio with some live musicians who are savvy and flexible,” says Benson, “and boy, did we accomplish that.”

On Guitar Man, Benson’s mastery of the guitar is demonstrated in a variety of styles and settings, all with legendary jazz roots. The opening track “Tenderly” is a solo guitar track that serves as a reminder that Benson is one guitar man with sufficient technical and interpretive skills to be a band unto himself. The second song is an intriguing rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Along with Benson on nylon-string guitar and Garfield on piano are guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Ray Fuller; bassist Freddie Washington; drummer Oscar Seaton, Jr. (who regularly tours with Benson); violinist Charlie Bisharat; and flutist/clarinetist Dan Higgins. All come together to create a fully orchestrated sound that casts one of the most simplistic of the Beatles’ early love ballads into something full-bodied and engaging.

The remainder of the set consists of either solo guitar tracks or Benson backed by the aforementioned five-man team, which lays down an easygoing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” Benson delivers the lyrics in his own engaging vocal style that includes a healthy dose of his trademark scatting guitar accompaniment.

Other highlights include a rollicking version of the Champs’ 1958 instrumental hit, “Tequila,” followed a couple tracks later by “My One and Only Love,” which opens with a 16-bar solo jazz guitar intro that segues into a sweet vocal ballad. Benson delivers a playful straightahead rendition of “Paper Moon” with the quartet, followed by a solo guitar rendition of “Danny Boy” (one of the few times, if ever, that a guitar sounds like bagpipes). In the final stretch, Benson and Garfield set up a lush guitar-and-piano arrangement of the smoky standard, “Since I Fell For You,” with Benson once again stepping up to the mic for an emotional delivery of the song’s impassioned lyrics.

Benson has never been one to shy away from innovation or experimentation. For this guitar man, putting a jazz spin on pop standards – not just on this recording but throughout his career – is less of a taboo when you’re willing to dispense with labels and the limitations that come with them.

“People categorize things because they need to find someplace to put them on their shelf,” he says. “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. I try to make it sound like it’s natural, because to me it is. There are only two kinds of music, good and bad. There are a lot of things in between, but they’re eventually going to fall on one side or the other of that equation.”

George Benson will be touring in support of Guitar Man. The live shows will feature Benson’s masterful guitar playing, and Benson and his band will be performing classic George Benson hits along with an acoustic presentation of a few songs from Guitar Man.

Confirmed dates below (additional dates TBA):

Oct. 1 – Austin, TX – The Riverbend Centre

Oct. 2 – St. Louis, MO – Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, University of MO

Oct. 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Sage Court, JW Marriott

Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA – Symphony Hall

Oct. 19 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center

Oct. 20 – Morristown, NJ – Morristown Civic Center

Oct. 21 – New York City, NY – Town Hall

Oct. 23 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

Click here for a  free download of “Danny Boy” from Guitar Man.

Last weekend was history in the making.

George recorded at Capitol Recording Studios with Harvey Mason on drums, Joe Sample and David Garfield on keys and Ben Williams on bass. The legendary, Grammy Award winning engineer, Al Schmidt, was at the board along with Grammy Award winning Producer, John Burk. A late September release titled The Guitar Man with a tour to follow where you can find GB leading a quartet in intimate venues throughout the US.

Congratulations to George and all who were involved in making Songs and Stories.

Songs and Stories is nominated for a Grammy for Best Surround Sound Album!

-mgmt

The voice of The Peddlers, Roy Phillips, opened with an impressive jazzy keyboard and smoky vocals.

Phillips was an unexpected but welcome treat with versions of Misty, Last Train to Clarksville and his own compositions.

Then came the man we had been waiting for, with his mile-wide smile and rich tones.

Dressed in a black tuxedo, George Benson captured the audience from his opening guitar chords.

As well as using the CSO, he brought some talented singers and musos, including Barbra Streisand’s musical director as his conductor/ pianist.

The lush strings of the CSO were put to particularly good use.

Benson put his own twist on Nat King Cole’s songbook, including When I Fall in Love, Mona Lisa, Ramblin’ Rose, Too Young, Straighten up and Fly Right, Smile and Just One of Those Things.

And, of course, Benson’s classic hit Give Me the Night, which got the audience dancing in the aisles.

The multi-Grammy award winner and hall of famer also shared a snippet of a recording from his child prodigy days 60 years ago.

The sexagenarian virtuoso guitarist has a remarkable voice.

After the Cole tribute, Benson gave us a “Benson party” with his own songs, from jazzy blues, to impressive instrumentals, scat and old school. He possibly felt constrained by Cole’s songs.

He let loose with Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love, In Your Eyes, and more.

More than mere imitation, this was Benson at his best.

For one night, the town hall became an old-school swinging nightclub. Even when he’s paying tribute to a great singer, you never forget, there is only one George Benson.

REVIEW George Benson – An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole, with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, 8pm, November 16, Christchurch Town Hall. Reviewed by Margaret Agnew. Photo Dean Kozanic