Wow. What a fantastic artist we have to feature this evening.That artist is guitarist, singer and songwriter George Benson. I cannot begin to adequately cover his brilliant career that literally began at age 9 in one show so I will feature him again next week and most likely still not do him justice. Simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, George Benson is an amazingly versatile musician, whose adept skills find him crossing easily between straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, and contemporary R&B.
He is blessed with supreme musical taste, a lush soulful tenor voice,and a beautiful, rounded guitar tone. He is a disciple of the late, great Wes Montgomery featured on our Program two. This is the plan for these two shows. Tonight is primarily music. Benson has been nominated 19 times for Grammy Awards and has won those awards an amazing eleven times. Tonight I will play seven of those Grammy Award winners, four in the first hour and three in the second hour. Tune in next week for part two with more complete information on Benson’s stellar career and some of his lesser known music.
Grammy Awards started to pour in for Benson with the release of his fabulous album Breezin’. George Benson won three Grammy Awards in 1977. One of those was for the prestigious record of the year for the song This Masquerade.
I will Play the billboard top three songs in smooth jazz for this week. We have a new number one.
Our new releases page will start this evening with a June 22nd release from saxophonist Dave Koz. This is a follow up to Dave Koz’s 2013 Grammy nominated release “Summer Horns,” . This album is Titled “Summer Horns II From A To Z” and showcases 11 tunes from some of smooth jazz’s biggest stars. Joining Koz on this project are the saxophonists Richard Elliot, and Gerald Albright, trumpeter Rick Braun and trombonist and vocalist Aubrey Logan. More new releases will follow from Violinist Josh Vietti, and saxophonist Gerald Albright.
In the second hour we will hear Diana Krall, Wes Montgomery, The Rippingtons, Brian Simpson, Elan Trotman, more George Benson Grammy Award winners, Gregg Karukas, Rick Braun, Rocco Ventrella, Adam Hawley with Brian Culbertson, and Enya.
I will close it out with a fabulous George Benson, Al Jarreau Grammy Award winning song.
