Is George Benson a guitar player or singer???

[mikeratan00]

I tend to feel GB is a better guitar player....

[BigSlick]

He's bad ass at both... but I suppose the same could be asked of B.B. King... in my opinion though the answer is the same...

[AlChuck]

What BigSlick said

[Lucidology]

He's the quintessential musician

[SGNick]

I personally really don't like his singing, His guitar playing is sublime though.

[Bassomatic]

Last I heard, one could kill at both.

He has great control of both instruments, no?

[mds]

Great singer, one of the greatest guitar players ever...

[stratus]

George Benson, Jazz Guitarist, The best......

[daddyo]

In an interview with Pat Metheney when asked about the fact that Benson had essentialy abandoned jazz guitar, Metheney commented that if he could sing like Benson, he wouldn't play guitar either.

[Serious Poo]

What's the difference? He plays music. The instrument is kind of irrelevant IMHO.

[archtopjazz]

he's the quintessential musician
+1.

[edgewound]

You have to ask?

Wow.

[Bassomatic]

He's the quintessential musician

Instrumentalist? Yes. But I can't quite square quintissential muso with how narrow and commercial his area of work has become. If you're going to "sell out" to the level he has, your player's halo takes on some tarnish (imo).

[Old Tele man]

...his jazz 'scatting' (IMHO) exceeds his 'vocalizations.'

[vhollund]

He is a fabulous soulsinger/ crooner and i feel stupid having to say how a ridiculously good guitarist he is. Obviusly he is.
No need to mesure things at these levels
I dont feel he is a sell out at all
He is Goerge Benson thats all
And he has written some of the best pop/soul hits ever

[heavysoul]

he has such absolute control over his instrument, the guitar comes to life.

[fyrwyr]

When I was 12 I would ask for a Kiss album for Christmas, I ALSO asked for Breezin' by Mr. Benson, you got to be good to make a 12 year old rocker kid to ask for your album for Christmas!!!!

[shihanderek]

I always find it humorous when people suggest Benson is a sell out. He has made it very clear thru the years that he prefers the pop stuff. He is a performer and wants the biggest crowds possible. How many would show up for a show if he only played jazz?

He chooses to be a pop artist because he likes it. Oh yeah, he also happens to be one of the best jazz guitarists who have ever played.

[teletalkin]

Absolutely stellar at both.....for me he has blended both into one.

[seiko]

both, obviously

[vhollund]

Actually he can dance a coreografy too
In the same time as singing and playing !

[Rob Sharer]

Last time I checked, he isn't required to choose one or the other. Neither should we be. Cheers,

Rob

[TimBascom]

For those who might think his vocals are too "pop".....I refer you to his album "The Other Side Of Abbey Road".

His rendition of "Golden Slumbers" and "Oh Darling" are as soulful as it gets.

[StanG]

Check out It's Uptown and Cookin' for some examples of great singing and some of the best guitar playing you will ever hear.

[ThePK]

He's the quintessential musician

+ 1


So true, what an amazing artist.

[edgewound]

Instrumentalist? Yes. But I can't quite square quintissential muso with how narrow and commercial his area of work has become. If you're going to "sell out" to the level he has, your player's halo takes on some tarnish (imo).

Tarnish on George Benson's halo? A sell-out?

That's hilarious....:rotflmao

The man is as brilliant as they get, and he's made a killing doing what he loves....better than anyone else.

That's hardly a sell-out.

Raquel Welch doing porn would be a sell-out.

[realityczech]

Great ensemble!

http://timstvshowcase.com/benson2.jpg

[Lucidology]

Raquel Welch doing porn would be a sell-out.

Depends at what age ...

[edgewound]

Depends at what age ...

She hasn't(although I might watch her at any age;))...and neither has George Benson.