George Benson - Valdez in the Country

George Benson is simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, but he is also an amazingly versatile musician, and that frustrates to no end critics who would paint him into a narrow bop box. He can play in just about any style -- from swing to bop to R&B to pop -- with supreme taste, a beautiful rounded tone, terrific speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, always, an unquenchable urge to swing. His inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery -- and he can do dead-on impressions of both -- but his style is completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger, particularly in a soul-jazz format. Yet Benson can also sing in a lush soulful tenor with mannerisms similar to those of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, and it is his voice that has proved to be more marketable to the public than his guitar. Benson is the guitar-playing equivalent of Nat King Cole -- a fantastic pianist whose smooth way with a pop vocal eventually eclipsed his instrumental prowess in the marketplace -- but unlike Cole, Benson has been granted enough time after his fling with the pop charts to reaffirm his jazz guitar credentials, which he still does at his concerts.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• George
• Benson
• Valdez
• in
• the
• Country
• In
• Flight
• original
• studio
• version
• with
• lyrics
• high
• quality

[taildragger53]

I saw him live during his CTI era around 1972 and he was BURNING.

'Guitar Player' magazine did a feature on him about 2 yrs later , when nobody apart from beboppers knew him

Things went quiet and he arrived on the scene with "Breezin' in the summer of '76.

Took the World by storm during a time when the sound of CLEAN jazz guitar tone was unheard of in the charts.

This track has always been my ultimate favourite from his fusion time. Pure summertime feel.

[doc2skate]

The 1970's: Great jazz, great R & B, great soul, great rock & roll, great concerts, and each for under $20. Everyone thought I was crazy for going to so many concerts and buying so many albums ($3.99 or three for $10.00). Who's laughing NOW? George Benson was great even during his concerts with CTI. Thanks for posting this great memory.

[195923plantation]

this as got to be one of my fav tracs by the fantastic Mr Benson timeless and so coool

[3811iberis]

This is probably the first pure jazz tune I ever liked in my life, and three plus decades later, it's still one of my favorites. George Benson is a guitarist/singer extraordinaire, there's no other way to describe him, timeless 70's music...

[desire19800124]

Yeahhhh Benson

[oskamadison]

Raky, that is one the most accurate descriptions of George's abilities I've ever read. I had an older brother who had all of George's albums. He used to play "Breezin'" to death. I came across this joint after I got older and really started to appreciate music.

Serene...

[ThePablorecords]

Excellent tune.

[7fixsfj3]

Outstanding!!!!

[SKULASCHU]

Mr. Smooth....

[MimiChildOfTheSea]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! I'VE LOOKED SO LONG FOR THIS SONG. ITS MY #1 FAV!!!! ^_^