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George Benson Licks George Benson Licks
George Benson is arguably one of the greatest jazz guitarists
that ever lived and he is certainly one of my favorite jazz guitar players. Most
people know him as a singer of soul & pop songs and don't realize what
a fantastic guitarist
he is.
He plays just about any style, has a beautiful tone, great
improvisational ideas, terrific speed, swings like hell and has very much his
own style, although you hear where he got his initial inspirations from : Wes
Montgomery and Charlie Christian.
Recommended listening : 'Beyond the Blue Horizon'
George Benson and Friends
Have a look at these great licks and be inspired by the master of smooth jazz guitar :
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V-I Licks
1) The first lick starts with a Cmaj7#5 arpeggio (E7b13) and continues in an A melodic minor scale.
2) The first bar of the next lick uses a Dm7b5 arpeggio, which gives an altered type of sound over E7 : b7, b9, 3 and b13.
In the second bar George plays a Abmaj7 arpeggio : 3, b13, 7 and #9. The use of a major 7 on a dominant chord is a bit unusual, but sounds ok here because it is part of a series of arpeggios that are used to build tension.
After the Abmaj7 arpeggio follows an Ab#5 triad arpeggio : 3, b13 and 1 going to the 9 of Amin.
You can hear this lick on the standard 'Stella by Starlight' on the CD 'Tenderly''.
II-V-I Licks
1) The Fm7 chord here is substituted by Abmaj7 with a bit of chromatism.
2) This very nice lick also comes out of 'Stella by Starlight' from the CD 'Tenderly''.
Minor II-V-I Lick
1) This lick uses the C minor pentatonic scale.
Minor Lick
1) This one uses the Ab minor blues scale.
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