The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    just awful Jabs. I'm pretty sure the average Benson concert goer would prefer he sing and if he plays a little, fine.
    but I'm sure most people here would rather he just play, this IS a guitar forum, so....

    I remember one of my first jazz concerts, a double bill w/Dave Brubeck and the Modern Jazz Quartet.
    Brubeck opened and didn't play Take 5 [the horror!]
    During intermision in the concourse many people were upset. I thought it odd but it didn't ruin the fact that they were excellent for me.

  4. #3

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    Rudeness seems to be overtaking civility in too many arenas, very sad!

    When my wife and I were first dating, I would play jazz albums and she would play soft rock, George Benson closed the gap in our music tastes. I loved his guitar playing & jazz while she loved his singing and "pop" based tunes. 35 years later we're still listening to George and attending his concerts when possible.

    I can't imagine booing the man for having lost his voice, he's human like the rest of us (except when it comes to playing guitar!)

  5. #4

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    That is a disgrace!

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
    That is a disgrace!
    Agreed .. Imagine paying good money for a show and all you get is guitar noodling

  7. #6

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    Nice of him to turn up at all. He could have cancelled, postponed or refunded. How old is he now, 75?

    Since when did you boo a 75 year old?

  8. #7

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    Ah, no one told the audience he had no voice that night... mmm.

  9. #8

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    It might have been wise to cancel the concert if he had no voice, BUT, personally, I would have been just as happy (dare I say happier?) to take in a night of Benson on guitar.
    Last edited by ESCC; 06-29-2018 at 10:15 AM.

  10. #9

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    I disagree. They shouldn't have booed. But if he couldn't sing, he should have cancelled. That's what most people want him to do, and have for decades. The crowd paid a lot of money to see him sing and play a little guitar, not vice versa.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by citizenk74
    Kicking a man when he is down is unacceptable. Ask for a refund, whatever, but booing? Childish.
    I agree. I wouldn't boo. Would love to hear George play guitar for a couple hours. But really, when you're known internationally as a singer---which he is--and you can't sing, you cancel the gig.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by ragman1
    Doesn't put the booing right.

    PS. I used to work at the Royal Albert Hall, taking tickets :-)
    I never said or meant to imply by mentioning the refund that booing GB was acceptable. It wasn't the way my folks raised me and I would have been happy to hear GB play guitar all night. But I can understand why some folks were disappointed. For the majority of GB fans, George is a pop singer who happens to play guitar. For me he is a jazz guitar player who happens to be a fine vocalist.

  13. #12

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    No it wasn't the audience wanting vocals. You've got it all wrong. It was the hardcore bebop players who were outraged that the solos he played weren't anything like the solos they'd spent all that time transcribing. Imagine spending weeks of your life working out a transcription, months learning to play it note for note, posting it on YouTube and sharing your transcriptions with guys on a forum, just to go and find out he can't play his own solo! AND he had the nerve to just make up something on the fly to cover his ass.
    THAT takes a lot of nerve. I definitely would've booed him off the stage. Sheesh George. Do your homework!

    David

  14. #13

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    This wasn't about musicians or guitarists, etc. This was the normal crowd who paid a lot (including hotels etc) to hear Georgeous George sing his love songs or whatever he does. They aren't interested in instrumentals, even good ones. To them that's boring, and understandably.

    There's also the question of contract and the legal concept of expectation. They didn't get what they came to get and were not warned in advance of the concert that it was going to happen.

    I don't like booing much either but what were they supposed to do? File out meekly? Crowds out for a good time aren't like that.

    So... regrettable, but it happened. And apparently they can get refunds. OK.
    Last edited by ragman1; 06-28-2018 at 10:22 PM.

  15. #14

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    If his voice is going, he can always go back to playing jazz in obscurity in small clubs...

  16. #15

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    He's not a "singer". He's a singer/guitarist or guitarist/singer. He plays guitar much better than he sings, and always has.

    He was the "new boss of guitar" if you'll check his history. How many albums did he put out before he sang on one of them?, 3,4,5?

  17. #16

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    We don't know whose job it was to announce his voice loss. Or how much in advance they knew. Or other details.

    Of course, if Benson told no one and just turned up hoping to wing it on instrumentals then it was his fault.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
    He's not a "singer". He's a singer/guitarist or guitarist/singer. He plays guitar much better than he sings, and always has.

    He was the "new boss of guitar" if you'll check his history. How many albums did he put out before he sang on one of them?, 3,4,5?
    I am far from a GB expert. I lost interest when he did Breezing or whatever. And yes he "plays guitar much better than he sings, and always has." But the crowd is paying the big bucks for his mediocre vocals, not his guitar playing. He should have canceled.

  19. #18

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    Yea, wow, never thought of George Benson as a 'singer'! That's stupid, he's one of the greatest guitarists, and people should be happy for him just playing the guitar all night. It's a treat!

  20. #19

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    Also, anyone questions why those artists still touring in tender age of 70 + years old? Sure, they love what they do, but me thinks the collapsing music business when artists can't just retire and live off their recordings royalties is part of it too, maybe? I know for a fact that's the case with Dick Dale for example, and God knows with how many others.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
    Yea, wow, never thought of George Benson as a 'singer'! That's stupid, he's one of the greatest guitarists, and people should be happy for him just playing the guitar all night. It's a treat!
    Yes, he was a great guitarist. But he changed 40 years ago. Why do you think people paid the big bucks to see him?

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil59
    Yes, he was a great guitarist. But he changed 40 years ago. Why do you think people paid the big bucks to see him?
    Honestly, no idea! I know what I'd pay for, and it's not his singing. But I live in my own world, I don't know what's the general consensus is. Meaning I don't sympathize with those who booed GB, screw them, for having bad taste and bad manners.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil59
    I am far from a GB expert. I lost interest when he did Breezing or whatever. And yes he "plays guitar much better than he sings, and always has." But the crowd is paying the big bucks for his mediocre vocals, not his guitar playing. He should have canceled.

    I don't necessarily disagree that he should have canceled but it's a tough call. A person like me would have been happy as a clam. George knows there are fans like me out there too.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil59
    Yes, he was a great guitarist. But he changed 40 years ago. Why do you think people paid the big bucks to see him?
    Was? Well I haven't heard him lately but I saw him in 2005 or so. He could still play, no problem at all. I saw him a few years later with Al Jarreau and he didn't play very much, but that was clearly by design. It was a different act.

  25. #24

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    Benson is a crooner, just like poll winning jazz pianist Nat Cole had become. That's the product they were selling. People only want what they pay for.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
    Benson is a crooner, just like poll winning jazz pianist Nat Cole had become. That's the product they were selling. People only want what they pay for.
    I agree with this parallel example. I regularly listen to the Nat King Cole trio (with excellent guitarist Oscar Moore). The later stuff? No way