George Benson solo live at Ibanez booth, NAMM 06

[SRVMOE]

I've followed George since 1973 and to see him up and close

there is nothing like it !

[deadmanprodinc]

That's not George Benson, it's George Foreman.

[poutin01]

@deadmanprodinc )))))

[sidneyraines]

He shows up at NAMM, picks up a guitar, screws da pick, and plays Tenderly without any issues.... this dudes sick

[xXironraiderXx]

people said that he used up and down strokes with his thumb and so did wes.. i didn't believe it until i watched very closely and that is what they do.. its a lot harder to do than it looks

[cgptony11]

A guitar player without a pick... Come on??? He's using his fingers because he wants too!!! Remember Wes?

[AlterGTR]

man, the tone he gets....!!

[OrisLover]

How the hell does he do it? This man's greatness won't ever be fully understood in our life time...believe me.

[reinecke99]

pick or no pick - who gives a %$#. Music is about the sound you are hearing not how it is delivered.

[papablueclef]

dont you cats have anything to do? just dig it. or dont

[rauldukeIII]

Wes Montgomery NEVER used a pick. He used his thumb like you see here for the tone it produces. "Fingerpicking" is a different thing all together. Just sayin', bro.

[REALCougarsRmales]

tone is in the fingers......... and the guitar, and the cord, and the pedals and the amp and the ambient reflections from the room.

[christopauls]

@REALCougarsRmales And the man playing the guitar. George Benson could be playing a Strat, Les Paul or even a 12 string Rickenbacker. It would still sound like George Benson.

[y34r]

Did he play Tenderly tune there?

Wow,so nice

[pacolecce]

sei sempre il migliore

[BillyWillis89]

Who needs a rhythm section when you can play like that?! I'll do my own comping thank you very much!

[durtmagert]

right after this was shot, i sat an played a duet with him

[fracarciofo]

@durtmagert I wouldn't have enough courage to do so... :P

[xXironraiderXx]

maybe its just me but im not big on the finger pickng.... but all the greats use it so its cool i guess

[BassmanII]

Since Pat retired his beloved ES-175, he has had three Ibanez Signature guitars starting with the two double cutaway archtops (I believe the PM 100 and 200 respectively), and the current instrument he's using right now.

[MrJazzbox]

@BassmanII PM100 & PM120 plus a model called the PM20 in late '90s now replaced by the PM35...

[bucektralee25]

i think that gb10 is perfect i love the guitar

[genolafrite]

Wes's thumb style, love it ;-)

[brass86]

well after having Ibanez making guitars with your name I guess you must like it

[1Mellodee]

What??? Benson Is a "Real Jazz" player & uses his Signature axe, So does Norman Brown & others...He occasionally uses Guilds & an L-5, but every time I've been to a concert or saw a video George is playing his Ibanez.

[BassmanII]

@1Mellodee Yeah, Pat Metheny also comes to mind.

[jazz1bro]

The guitar doesn't determine greatness. The musician playing the instrument. does.

[phishUMup]

@jazz1bro true, but many times it is the instrument that inspires the musician.

[88naka]

Scofield , Metheny , Ben Monder , Benson . Dude cmon , stfu.

[brass86]

well those guys except for Benson are more modern..Scofield plays mostly Fusion. I'm talking bout Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green..earlier Jazz. ..its just that Gibsons have a warmer..darker sound than Ibanez guitars..when I think of Ibanez guitars I think of Steve Vai or Satriani..so I probably made a mistake using the phrase "Real Jazz Players"

[88naka]

Joe Pass used Japanese custom Ibanez for a long time , same for Herb Ellis.

[olahjancsy]

best

[itsjonlikeomg]

is he playing 'tenderly'?

[foxybrown2]

benson majority of the time does use a pick I have seen him live, also look at his DVD absolute benson he is using a pick all the way except when he was playing danny boy

[wisesatyr72]

he dosent look to be struggling at all..a very natural guitarist like prince

[rooseguitar64]

What makes benson so incredible is his total control of sound. He knows where he is at all times..Ive seen him play in multiple keys at the same time.

[RixGuitar]

Appreciate George while he is still out there doing his thing! A great guy and legend!!

[foxybrown2]

Benson does use a pick most of the time check other videos

[afffred]

no he almost always plays with his hand like that (mostly his thumb actually)

[fenderbender92]

Its surprising everyone at the convention wasnt stadning there..I'd sure as hell be

[tokugijoo]

Benson is amazing.

[johnfindlaymusic]

"What's funny is that he only picks with his thumb"

???????????

ever heard of Wes or Charlie??? not funny!

dork

[Funkatronical]

fag..

[waldo2384]

Charlie Christian used a pick.

[mamachip]

he just didn't have a pick handy, so he played anyway...take that, you guys who obsess over gear!

[dannybighair]

no... he just picks with his thumb for the sound

[zeffy00]

@mamachip check your facts, some players sometimes actually play without a pick on purpose, and george is one of them

[GuitarSlinger2112]

@mamachip Benson is famous for his thumb technique. Which is not the same as "not have a pick handy" to people who play always with a pick.

[suckemgood]

@mamachip a pick doesn't constitute as gear

[woodlist]

@suckemgood

That's like saying it doesn't matter what kind of strings you use. Everything connected to the guitar is personal to the particular player. You look for a sound you want and you strive to get it, even if it means picking the strings with your teeth.

[suckemgood]

@woodlist Well by that infallible logic; teeth would be considered gear also. Good one.

[GildedLiliesBand]

@mamachip Well, actually he does this same thumb picking in his hot licks videos where I'm sure he has a pick handy. He probably just enjoys the tone that he gets from his thumb. Im sure he has practiced this rest stroke thumb technique quite a bit, probably inspired by Wes Montgomery. Gear should be obsessed over, it needs to feel natural and comfortable in your hands so that you don't have to think about it while playing.

[poyete]

@mamachip playing with your thumb is just another technique: it brings a more clear and round sound to your guitar than if you were playing it with a pick.

[bluewaterpig]

@mamachip he normally plays without a pick buddy.

[realitymodel2]

@mamachip hes doing his wes montgomery

[bluewaterpig]

@mamachip George Benson plays without a pick more often than not. I'm sure he had a pick on him.

[theScytheofGod]

What's funny is that he only picks with his thumb!

[cristuspz]

Please! :)

[JollyBarHanau]

Great, thanks!

[Menintheshadow]

django is the king lol

[ColinPRS]

And a great singer...Life aint fair.

[cristuspz]

YES! Post them, please!

[TheJamster79]

Who is Wes? George is better known

[mekore]

haha i have a lot of benson's and wes montgomery's music, in one of benson's album there a song titled 'I Remember Wes" ha!  personally i like Wes better but in Benson's era the recording tech is better

[djfobtronics]

Wes Montgomery, the great jazz guitarist of the 60s who George Benson modelled his style on.

[gtrplyr013]

do not forget Grant Green. listen to Grants playing and then listen to George. Listen to also to Hank Garland (country jazz guitar) you will hear where George gets it. George mentions Hank as one of his early influences.

[kofianonym]

he's definitely a king....the king, when it comes to jazz guitar

make no mistake

[tpritchas14]

true but honestly nobody can touch wes

[sheetsofsound]

Stupid statement. Benson carries the torch. Nobody can touch George either.

[shadracastrat]

well said dude!

[21qpalzm12]

George certainly isn't the king but is probably one of the kings top advisor's. An ace in my book though. Wes in my opinion is one of the gods.

[BigAstroG]

Even with that open air sound in the vid, you could tell his tone was super sweet!

[shetalkscrazytalk84]

George kicks some serious ass! untouchable!

[laszlosirsom]

GEORGE YOU THE KING!!

[laszlosirsom]

Ilove George Music and play ,Kind regard laszlo Sirsom Ausztralia

[edrphenrique]

tenderly

[StevieRayVaughan84]

I love this Wes Montgomery's style!!!!George Benson is one of a kind!!!

[BlingMasterFunk]

Ala Wes... It's beautiful.

[jazzydurkheim]

it's tenderly...

[SteveMjazz]

this i think is either Ode to de Kulu or Tenderly.....idk though which one........

[mizmuffit]

cool hes pretty good of rnopt using a pick hes godly