George Benson – The Most Incredible Jazz Music Guitarist Ever – Part 1
Jazz guitar performer George Benson was born March 22, 1943 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The precocious youngster found early on that he possessed a good singing voice and in fact made his public debut at age 4 at a 4th of July show, leading to his nickname – “Little Georgie Benson”. Listening to the jazz guitar recordings of jazz guitarist Charlie Christian with the Benny Goodman Band a few years later on ignited his desire to play guitar. There were no collection books of jazz guitar tabs or jazz guitar tablature in those days for George to study and learn from. His stepfather, Tom Collier, who also had aspirations of playing professionally owned an electrical guitar which young George wanted. Since his fingers were too little at this point however, he had to settle for an ukulele instead.
By the time he was eight, Benson was rewarded with a beginner’s guitar by his stepfather who acknowledged his talent. A local talent scout observed George’s abilities after watching him play guitar on street corners and drove him to New York city. At the age of ten, Little Georgie Benson was inked to a short term recording contract with RCA Victor Records “X” label and cut 4 sides of R&B tunes which included Ray Charles’s “It Should Have Been Me”. Only one record single, “She Makes Me Mad”, was released and the event added to Benson’s notoriety back home, but his rigid stepfather saw the music as too much of a distraction and took George’s guitar away!
Maybe the absence of a strong, passionate focus in his life had some effect. At age 15, Benson got in trouble with the police and did six weeks in reform school. Once he got out he joined the Altarrs, an R&B singing group put together by one of his cousins. Wishing to perform on the guitar once again as well as sing, his stepfather built George a do-it-yourself electric guitar and amplification system for his use. By seventeen, George Benson was singing and playing guitar with the Altarrs and they grew to become one of the most preferred groups in the area.
In less than a year, Benson was itching to lead his own band. He got together a quintet whose repertoire consisted just about entirely of R&B songs, but he was starting to develop a real curiosity in jazz. Listening to the record album “Jazz Winds From a New Direction” featuring jazz guitarist Hank Garland and vibraphonist Gary Burton spurred him on to additional exploration. Before long the record albums of Charlie Parker, Charlie Christian, and Wes Montgomery headed him in a new be-bop direction and he began seriously woodshedding on his guitar along with showing up at numerous jam sessions. Jazz guitarists such as Grant Green and Eddie McFadden traveling through Pittsburgh added their encouragement upon hearing his ability and creativity. In fact, fellow Pittsburghian Grant Green would go on to suggest that he try his hand at becoming a studio musician. Luckily, for aspiring jazz guitarists George Benson has released a number of jazz guitar tab books which feature a lot of his recorded solos and instructional Dvds that teach his guitar techniques and harmonic concepts.
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps guitar players become better guitarists. His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous selection of jazz guitar tabs
as well as instructional DVDs by George Benson himself. Find out more and claim Steven’s popular free monthly guitar lesson e-course available at: =>
http://www.chordmelody.com/George-Benson.htm
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