George Benson
 Famed jazz guitarist and vocalist
George Benson was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. on March 22, 1943 and began
performing before the age of 10, singing in nightclubs and recording
several cuts for RCA. In 1960 Benson formed a rock band, but he soon
became more interested in jazz, awed by performers like Charlie
Parker and Charlie Christian. After a stint in Brother Jack McDuff's
Band, Benson formed his own jazz group in 1965, recording several
albums for Columbia and guesting with other groups, including an appearance
on Miles Davis' Miles in the Sky. In 1967 Benson moved to Verve,
then to A&M the following year, then to producer Creed Taylor's
own CTI label for much of the '70s. Benson's guitarwork won over jazz
fans and critics, earning comparisons to Wes Montgomery and Charlie
Christian, among others.
1.awe: n. 敬畏 vt. 敬畏
Though at this point in his career Benson was a noted jazz guitarist,
he was still little known outside of jazz circles. What broke George
Benson to the general public was a series of late '70s albums with
Warner Bros. that focused on his soulful vocals as well as his guitar
noodling. Beginning with the Top 10 1976 album Breezin' and
its hit single "The Masquerade," Benson began producing a
series of pop/R&B albums, working with major-league producer
Quincy Jones on what was to be Benson's biggest album yet, 1980's
Give Me the Night. Though hard-core jazz fans resented
the move towards the mainstream, Benson was more popular and commercially
successful than ever. During the 1980s Benson's vocals became more
prominent than his guitar, but by the end of the decade he had reversed
the trend, re-emphasizing his guitar background. George Benson continues
to perform and record both pop and jazz. His most recent release,
That's Right, was released in 1996 on GRP.
1.masquerade: n. 化妆舞会 v. 化装
2.resent:v. 愤恨, 怨恨
|
