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George Benson Guitars Rock Skinner Auction
George Benson Guitars Rock Skinner Auction
George Benson was born with a pure soul voice and an un-nerving passion for the blues. He won his first singing contest at four-years-old. Even then he played to the crowd.
The musical prodigy grew up in Pittsburgh and hit the jazz scene at age eight playing ukulele and later guitar in corner pubs around town.
Like a bright star in the dreary sky above the steel city, there was no stopping the boy or his music.
Today Benson reigns as a jazz giant, one of the greatest rhythm guitar legends in history. Best of all, he can play just about any style.
“I was an entertainer first,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. But that doesn’t change my desire to entertain folks. That’s really who I am.”
Benson’s early musical heroes included guitarists Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Hank Garland and Grant Green. But he developed a style all his own.
“I’ve always liked the hot guitar guys, he said.”
As a teenager Benson sang and played guitar in a rock-and-roll band. Jack McDuff heard him and it wasn’t long before Benson joined the organist’s jazz trio as a featured member from 1962-1965.
Talent scout John Hammond also heard Benson play and said he had the perfect combination of brains and flash. He signed Benson to Columbia Records in 1965.
Benson made four highly acclaimed albums for Hammond and Columbia.
After a move to Warner Bros. in 1976 Benson recorded Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” on his album “Breezin’” and the album climbed to multi-platinum status.
He followed up with “On Broadway,” and “Give Me the Night,” which completely engaged dancers.
Predictable Benson has never been. In fact, some of his old fans were upset about his new “pop” success.
“I guess that’s the biggest crime I’ve made as far as jazz lovers go,” he said. “They don’t always like to see you play for the general public. They want to be catered to. But I’ve tried that approach and it doesn’t work for me. Nobody can stay one way for 30 years. I’ve always tried to let my experience show itself. You learn, you change. The door opened and I walked through it, he added.”
Walking threw doors led the guitarist to eight Grammy wins.
“I had to break a couple rules along the way,” he said. “There was an unwritten law: be cool, don’t get too raunchy. But jazz was once hanging-out music. And the easiest way to involve people is by getting ‘em tapping their feet. When they’re tapping a bit, they’ll go your way.”
One of Benson’s prize possessions was a Gibson L-5 guitar that belonged to jazz great Wes Montgomery. It was the guitar Wes recorded many of his hits on like “Goin Out of My Head” and “Windy.”
The guitar was pictured on the album cover of “Movin Wes.” It was also the same one Benson used for a tribute concert for Wes at the Hollywood Bowl.
On Oct 14, Skinner Auctioneers, Boston, Mass., featured the guitar for sale in its Fine Musical Instruments auction which included the collection of George Benson. The guitar sold for $41,125.
Here are current values for other Benson guitars and instruments sold in the auction.
George Benson Collection
Guitar; American Guitar; Epiphone Incorporated; New York; 1946; Model Emperor; $4,700.
Guitar; American Guitar; James D’ Aquisto; 1968; New Yorker Special; signed and dated; ex-collection of Dick Sierota; $35,250.
Trumpet; B Flat; Martin Company; circa 1980; ex-collection of Miles Davis; engraved with his personal request for the crescent moon and stars on blue lacquer; $41,125.
Guitar; Gibson; Kalamazoo, 1966; Model Johnny Smith; custom guitar made for Ike Isaacs; leading British jazz guitarist for generations; $41,125.
Rosemary McKittrick covers the auction market in her weekly column.
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