As a very young child in the city of Pittsburgh, there was nothing more important to Little Georgie Benson than the music. Armed with a ukulele that was salvaged from the trash and repaired by his soon to be stepfather Tom, George was soon singing for change on the city streets and picking up his first gig at the nightclub Little Paris. After going to New York and cutting tracks, he formed a doo-wop group, the Altairs, his first real step into George becoming the artist we know and love.
Over the years, Benson’s jazz education was an informal one. He learned by playing with the best and became a sought after studio musician and successful solo artist. The book is full of insider stories of the ins and outs of the jazz scene as George plays with legendary greats like Miles Davis. Benson also tackles some tough topics, especially racism as he performed in Cape Town, South Africa, during apartheid. With the success of his solo work “Breezin'” and “On Broadway” George has achieved a level of crossover success that most jazz musicians never see. Throughout the book, his love of jazz shines through as he mentors those who have come after him and tours relentlessly bringing the music he loves so much to millions all over the world.
“Benson The Autobiography” is very well done and filled with amusing and informative anecdotes. Even if you don’t know much about jazz, you’ll come away with a greater sense and understanding of this important music. In the world of jazz, ‘baaaad’ is good and George Benson is one of the baaaadest jazz cats around.
