Budiey
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, 16th August 2013 – So many times in contemporary popular music – in jazz, rock, blues, folk or beyond – the man with the guitar is the fulcrum on which all other sounds and voices hinge. He’s the core, the engine, the captain who leads and inspires the rest of the team. George Benson has been that man for nearly a half century. In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, NEA Jazz Master, George Benson, has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the way, he has also established himself as a formidable jazz singer – one whose biggest career hits have showcased his vocals as well as his guitar chops. In short, this guitar man is the complete package.
GEORGE BENSON INSPIRATION TOUR FEATURING THE GREATEST HITS LIVE IN MALAYSIA
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]alaysians will have the opportunity to embrace and welcome the legendary George Benson on our shores in conjunction with his ‘Inspiration Tour Featuring the Greatest Hits Live’ coming 28th August at the Plenary Hall, KL Convention Centre, 8.30pm. Brought to you by JS Concert and supported by Malaysia Major Events (MME), a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, this event will significantly add up to the series of events happening in Malaysia.
Don’t miss out on him singing his classic hits “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You”; “This Masquerade”; “On Broadway”; “Breezin” ; “Give Me The Night”; “Never Give Up On A Good Thing”; “Turn Your Love Around”; “Lady Love Me (One More Time)”; “Feel Like Making Love”; “20:20”; “Kisses In The Moonlight”; “In Your Eyes”’ “ The Greatest Love Of All” and many more.
“Malaysia is increasingly gaining recognition as a major international events hub and we are delighted to be able to add to the repertoire of international artists gracing our shores by bringing the renowned artist, George Benson. It is indeed an exceptional opportunity for local and regional fans to see this legend perform live in our country. We hope to host more artists’ performances in Malaysia as part of our Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) effort to continue attracting both local and international fans to our beautiful nation,” said En. Zulkefli Haji Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
Benson actually started out professionally as a singer, performing in nightclubs at eight, recording four sides for RCA’s X label in 1954, forming a rock band at 17 while using a guitar that his stepfather made for him. Exposure to records by Christian, Montgomery, and Charlie Parker got him interested in jazz, and by 1962, the teenaged Benson was playing in Brother Jack McDuff’s band.
After forming his own group in 1965, Benson became another of talent scout John Hammond’s major discoveries, recording two highly regarded albums of soul-jazz and hard bop for Columbia and turning up on several records by others, including Miles Davis’ Miles in the Sky. He switched to Verve in 1967, and, shortly after the death of Montgomery in June 1968, producer Creed Taylor began recording Benson with larger ensembles on A&M (1968-1969) and big groups and all-star combos on CTI (1971-1976).
While the A&M and CTI albums certainly earned their keep and made Benson a guitar star in the jazz world, the mass market didn’t catch on until he began to emphasize vocals after signing with Warner Bros. in 1976. His first album for Warner Bros., ‘Breezin’, became a Top Ten hit on the strength of its sole vocal track, “This Masquerade,” and this led to a string of hit albums in an R&B-flavoured pop mode, culminating with the Quincy Jones-produced “Give Me the Night”.
Benson reversed his field late in the ’80s to record a fine album of standards, ‘Tenderly’, and another with the Basie band, his guitar now featured more prominently. His pop-flavoured work also improved noticeably in the ’90s. Benson retains the ability to spring surprises on his fans and critics, like his dazzlingly idiomatic TV appearance and subsequent record date with Benny Goodman in 1975 in honour of John Hammond, and his awesome command of the moment at several Playboy Jazz Festivals in the ’80s. His latter-day recordings include the 1998 effort Standing Together, 2000’s Absolute Benson, 2001’s All Blues, and 2004’s Irreplaceable. Three songs from 2006’s Givin’ It Up, recorded with Al Jarreau, were nominated for Grammy Awards in separate categories.
Benson began to see numerous reissues of his catalogue material from his on Verve, A&M, and CTI, from 2008 on. In 2009, he signed to Concord and released Songs and Stories for the label, and followed it up with his first primarily instrumental album in 35 years entitled Guitar Man in 2011.
Indeed, Benson has never been one to shy away from innovation or experimentation. For this guitar man, putting a jazz spin on pop standards – not just on this recording but throughout his career – is less of a taboo when you’re willing to dispense with labels and the limitations that come with them.
“People categorize things because they need to find someplace to put them on their shelf,” George Benson says. “It’s all music to me. I think a lot of pop tunes that were very big in the United States many years ago were recorded by jazz musicians playing in the background. Most of the Motown records were recorded that way. Those guys were jazz musicians who were living in Detroit and were called to do a job, and they did it very well…I try to do the same thing. I try to make it sound like it’s natural, because to me it is. There are only two kinds of music, good and bad. There are a lot of things in between, but they’re eventually going to fall on one side or the other of that equation”.
George Benson’s latest album, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, was conceived decades ago. Benson was just a kid when he first mimicked Cole off the radio, singing his own version of “Mona Lisa” while accompanying himself on the ukulele. He initiay thought making a proper album of Cole songs always felt funny, disrespectful or just plain wrong.
“A comparison to Nat Cole I did not want to do,” Benson says. “The great difference was that he was a true baritone, and he had this silky voice to go along with it, and great diction and elegance. And that you cannot copy.”Instead, Benson tried to conjure Cole’s spirit.
George is one of those kinds of guys that can make the complicated sound simple and that’s why he’s been able to maintain a career for so long — because he has that thing that just appeals to everybody, that has universal appeal. George Benson says he’s put his trust in an even simpler principle.
“If you put something on that record that people want to hear, they’ll buy it,” Benson says. “So I never gave up on that idea, that jazz musicians have the same opportunity as everybody else. And it’s what you put on that record that makes the difference, whether you sell it or not, or are able to get it into people’s households.”
In the end, Benson is content with who he is — and even happy. But it still took him decades to finally get around to putting on record his debt to Nat King Cole, the other jazz artist who turned into a pop star. He says he had to be convinced, but then he got into it.
Pre sale tickets at 15% discount available now. The Diamond (RM 588.00) tickets will be entitled to a pre show cocktail whereby there will be free flow and Hors d’oeuvre before the show commences from 6pm until 8pm.
Tickets priced at RM 588.00 (Diamond), RM 388.00 (Platinum) RM 288.00 (Gold) RM 188.00 (Silver). Tickets will go on sale on 20th May and available online at www.ticketpro.com.my and all Ticket Pro outlets, Rock Corner and Victoria Music. For more info log in to www.jsconcert.com or call 03-7880 7999.
About Malaysia Major Events
Malaysia Major Events is a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Created under the Prime Minister’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Malaysia Major Events facilitates significant events that help contribute to Malaysia’s economic growth. It focuses on identifying and supporting major event bids for sports, arts, lifestyle and entertainment events. It also assists home grown and home hosted events as well as other cluster events that strengthen Malaysia’s global appeal as an international avenue for major events. As a conduit between public and private sector, it’s a one-stop centre which facilitates and liaises with diverse event stakeholders to ensure seamless processes and successful events. For more information, please visit www.mymajorevents.com.my.
