JAZZGUITARHARDBAL L
JIM BASTIAN
Being George Benson, Pt. 2
A
B
C
11
10
13
= higher pedal note. The other notes “move” below this pedal
Welcome back to the world of George
Benson! Anyone who has seen the fairly
new George Benson DVD, The Art of Jazz
Guitar, is reminded of Benson’s virtuosic
jazz playing and the many unique techniques and ideas he has given us over the
years; the moving octaves with a fourth in
the middle; scat singing; new directions in
speedy Wes-style improvised chord lines;
double stop licks; a unique chromatic
concept; the importance of the original
melody; and the idea that you can express
jazz in an earthy, joyful, uninhibited spirit.
George has left an indelible mark on the
evolution of jazz guitar.
recognizable guitar voice was formulated
early in Benson’s life and has been around
since the early sixties, when George was
barely 20 years old. That harmonic language and stylistic approach are still very
much present, although the years have
added refinement, polish and an “effortless
mastery.” He is a player for whom we shake
our heads and say, “He just always sounded that way!” Listen to the 1965 version
of “Willow Weep for Me” – many of those
signature Benson licks, along with the blistering technique, have been in place since
the early days.
stop licks above are favorites of George
and are essentially organ-style licks where
a pedal note is placed above other activity.
These examples are all written in the key of
G. In example A, the Bb on the B string is
bent upwards while holding the D above it.
This emphasizes the flat third blues note,
as over a G7 chord. In example B, we are
holding a G on the E string, while moving
a blues phrase below it (Bb, C, Db – in any
linear order you like). Example C finds us
holding an F and bending a Db below it
– this emphasizes the 7 and b5 blue notes
against a G7 chord.
Benson says of his influences, “My concepts and ideas have been built up
from many incredible players… Django
Reinhardt… Charlie Christian… Tal Farlow...
Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery, one of our
greatest icons. [My style] is a collection of
ideas, thoughts and techniques that I’ve
taken from many teachers around the world
– not people that I’ve studied the guitar
with necessarily, but people that I’ve taken
things from, examining their techniques
and ways of doing things… [such players]
have really given me insight into what the
possibilities of the guitar are.”
Also included for your study are a few
more typical Benson phrases, showing that
his jazz style is based within a blues vocabulary. In his personal statement above,
George has reminded us that it is important to study the masters and draw ideas
from them. We should study his music
with the aim of developing a voice that is
our own – after all, there can only be one
George Benson.
You Tube.com is filled with Benson performances, and thanks to technology, we
can now enjoy comparing recent live performances of “Breezin’” with the original
version from the seventies. Benson, now
the elder statesman of jazz guitar, shows a
mature confidence and plays with a voice
that is completely integrated, at ease and
still on fire, as only he can be. This uniquely
Although often chastised by some for
focusing on a commercial career, when he
did make bebop recordings – painfully few
for many jazz aficionados – it was some of
the finest, most heated, traditional jazz guitar playing you could ask for. One only has
to listen to the solo on “Billie’s Bounce”
(George Benson, Compact Jazz) or the
“Mimosa” solo (Jimmy Smith, Off The
Top) to become a believer. Like few other
players, one can listen to any of his commercial recordings and be surprised by how
strong the solos are, irrespective of genre.
Even what we might call his “smooth jazz”
recordings reveal a talent that transcends
style. For example, his work with Earl Klugh
on Collaboration is filled with Benson’s
burning, blues-based jazz lines and is worthy of further study.
George Benson got his start at age 19,
performing with B- 3 organist Jack McDuff.
It is therefore no wonder that many of his
stock blues licks are “organ-esque” in their
approach. The three examples of double-
Jim Bastian
A clinician and jazz educator, Jim Bastian is a ten year
veteran of teaching guitar in higher education. Jim
holds two masters degrees and has published six jazz
studies texts, including the best-selling How to Play
Chordal Bebop Lines, for Guitar (available from Jamey
Aebersold). He actively performs on both guitar and bass
on the East Coast.
An avid collector and trader in the vintage market, you
can visit Jim’s store in Gear Search at
premierguitar.com
(dealer: IslandFunhouse).
