Best straight-ahead George Benson?

[docbop]

Get the old CTI stuff White Rabbit, Bad Benson, and others. He also played a lot on other CTI and Kudo artists records during that time.

[MarkRhodes]

Here's some late '60s funky jazz, "Doin' the Thing"

[destinytot]

From the Dexter Gordon album ​GOTHAM CITY:

[Groyniad]

Check out this early '70s live performance. Unfortunately, it comes from a compilation of various artists and this is the only Benson track on the album:

i would like to jump up and down and shout for joy about this cut

i'm telling you this is art tatum playing the guitar

he can do anything he wants

imagine if we could have an album with bill evans

the 1966 newport clip confirms his unique musical status

i'm the most awful be-bop obsessed nut-job (i think i prefer fats navarro to clifford brown some days) - i still haven't heard anything by him - no matter how pop - y - that doesn't strike me as fab.

there's a good concert on youtube with mccoy tyner - that's straight ahead

[Groyniad]

reply to self?

look i understated it before

this is the best tone i've ever heard come out of a guitar - the lushness and clarity and freshness is astounding

its so easy to hear absolutely everything he's doing

this is a tune that risks sugariness at every turn - but his performance just transcends the contrast between corny and hip

the presentation of the melody is so generous and direct and clear - and yet it could hardly be more rhythmically and harmonically sophisticated

i can imagine no improvement at any moment (there are three repeated low notes towards the end of the main passage that are astounding)

no-one has the sensory physical control of the instrument that he has - the TOUCH (in spanish you don't say 'playing' the guitar you say 'touching' the guitar - destinytot tells us on another thread)

its so tonally alive - ultra high bright string tones blended with full round woody tones - fabulous dynamic range

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

[Groyniad]

I think this is a great track, even if I still can't play the main riff. Joe Sample is superb on this track.
Guy

this is the closest thing to bebop i've heard from him. just a great flowing horn like solo.

[edh]

@Mark, is "Doin' the Thing" the name of that album? I can't make it out.

thanks
edh

[gcb]

"Hipping the Hop" is from Absolute Benson.

[gcb]

Check It´s Uptown, The New Boss Guitar...and Beyond the Blue Horizon.

[edh]

Hello all, Can someone tell me what chord GB is substituting for the Bbmin7 chord? I tried a Dbmaj6 chord but it doesn't sound right.

I Would really appreciate it.

thanks
edh

[rpguitar]

Do you mean the strummed chords in the very beginning?

(He's playing it a half step up)

Sounds like:
Em7 Bm11 Em7 B7#9

Bm11:
7 x 7 7 5 x

B7#9:
x x 9 8 10 10

[M-ster]

Do you mean the strummed chords in the very beginning?

(He's playing it a half step up)

Sounds like:
Em7 Bm11 Em7 B7#9

Bm11:
7 x 7 7 5 x

B7#9:
x x 9 8 10 10

Or ...

Bm11 (A/B):
7 x 7 6 5 x

[snoskier63]

Don't just look for George Benson recordings, but look for albums he collaborated on as a sideman as well and you will find a ton of "real jazz". His discography is at George Benson discography - Ask.com Encyclopedia and includes the following:

Rel. Performer Title Rec. Label Formats Notes
1963 Brother Jack McDuff Brother Jack McDuff Live! 1963 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1963 Brother Jack McDuff Brother Jack at the Jazz Workshop Live! 1963 Prestige Records LP -
1963 Brother Jack McDuff Prelude 1963 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1963 Red Holloway with the Brother Jack McDuff Quartet Cookin' Together 1963 Prestige Records LP -
1964 Brother Jack McDuff The Dynamic Jack McDuff 1964 Prestige Records LP -
1964 Joe Dukes The Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes 1964 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1964 Brother Jack McDuff The Concert McDuff 1964 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1965 Brother Jack McDuff Hot Barbeque 1965 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1965 Brother Jack McDuff Silk and Soul 1964, 1965 Prestige Records LP -
1965 Red Holloway Red Soul 1965 Prestige Records LP -
1966 Lonnie Smith Finger-Lickin' Good 1966, 1967 Columbia Records LP -
1967 Lou Donaldson Alligator Bogaloo 1967 Blue Note Records LP, CD -
1967 Brother Jack McDuff Hallelujah Time! 1963, 1964 Prestige Records LP -
1967 Roberta Peck Extraordinary 1967 Columbia Records LP -
1968 Hank Mobley Reach Out! 1968 Blue Note Records LP, CD -
1968 Brother Jack McDuff The Midnight Sun 1963, 1964, 1965 Prestige Records LP -
1968 Larry Young Heaven on Earth 1968 Blue Note Records LP, CD -
1968 Brother Jack McDuff Soul Circle 1964 Prestige Records LP -
1968 Lee Morgan Taru 1968 Blue Note Records LP, CD -
1968 Lou Donaldson Midnight Creeper 1968 Blue Note Records LP, CD -
1968 Jaki Byard Jaki Byard with Strings! 1968 Prestige Records LP, CD -
1968 Miles Davis Miles in the Sky 1968 Columbia Records LP, CD -
1968 Jimmy Smith The Boss 1968 Verve Records LP, CD -
1969 Hubert Laws Crying Song 1969 CTI Records LP, CD -
1969 Brother Jack McDuff I Got a Woman 1964, 1965 Prestige Records LP -
1969 J. J. Johnson & Kai Winding Stonebone 1969 A&M Records (Japan) LP -
1969 Brother Jack McDuff Steppin' Out 1964, 1965 Prestige Records LP -
1970 Stanley Turrentine Sugar 1970 CTI Records LP, CD -
1970 Freddie Hubbard Straight Life 1970 CTI Records LP, CD -
1970 Willis "Gator" Jackson Mellow Blues 1970 Trip Records LP -

I am listening to Lou Donaldson's Alligator Bogaloo right now, and I'm lovin' it!

[edh]

@Roger & M-ster, thanks for responding. I'll try both fingerings. Just looking at it though I would say B7#9 might be it.

Thanks a bunch guys.

edh

[M-ster]

... Just looking at it though I would say B7#9 might be it ...

Roger & I are both saying that it's a 2-bar pattern that alternates:

||: E-7(9) / / A/B / | E-7(9) / / B7(#9) :||

Er ... so B7(#9) is only part of it.

[edh]

yes I know, have a look at the video above at 0.38 and 42 mark. That's the chord I'm looking for.

thanks guys

[rpguitar]

Then yes, sounds like B7#9.

x x 9 8 10 10

[edh]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your help.

edh

[lopesco]

One not so known track is "Flavors" from the 1977 Afrodesia album, a collaboration between GB, Lonnie Smith, Joe Lovano and Ron Carter. In fact, this track is Impressions with another name. Smoking. The other tracks are all good too, but another Benson highlight is When the night is right. There's an earlier Lonnie Smith album "Live at Club Mozambique", a quartet with Benson on guitar that's straight ahead from start to finish. Recommended.

[wintermoon]

"There's an earlier Lonnie Smith album "Live at Club Mozambique", a quartet with Benson on guitar that's straight ahead from start to finish. Recommended."

Exactly the one I was thinking of, I think I wore out my cd copy