George Benson’s new album “Guitar Man” released today

George Benson is still one of the guitarists I look up to a lot. His fluid style, fat tone and incredible rhythm are what make me tick. I was pleased to read the following announcement through the Jazz Network Worldwide. 

On Guitar Man, Benson’s mastery of the guitar is demonstrated in a variety of styles and settings, all with legendary jazz roots. The opening track “Tenderly” is a solo guitar track that serves as a reminder that Benson is one guitar man with sufficient technical and interpretive skills to be a band unto himself. The second song is an intriguing rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Along with Benson on nylon-string guitar and Garfield on piano are guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Ray Fuller; bassist Freddie Washington; drummer Oscar Seaton, Jr. (who regularly tours with Benson); violinist Charlie Bisharat; and flutist/clarinetist Dan Higgins. All come together to create a fully orchestrated sound that casts one of the most simplistic of the Beatles’ early love ballads into something full-bodied and engaging.

The remainder of the set consists of either solo guitar tracks or Benson backed by the aforementioned five-man team, which lays down an easygoing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” Benson delivers the lyrics in his own engaging vocal style that includes a healthy dose of his trademark scatting guitar accompaniment.

Other highlights include a rollicking version of the Champs’ 1958 instrumental hit, “Tequila,” followed a couple tracks later by “My One and Only Love,” which opens with a 16-bar solo jazz guitar intro that segues into a sweet vocal ballad. Benson delivers a playful straightahead rendition of “Paper Moon” with the quartet, followed by a solo guitar rendition of “Danny Boy” (one of the few times, if ever, that a guitar sounds like bagpipes). In the final stretch, Benson and Garfield set up a lush guitar-and-piano arrangement of the smoky standard, “Since I Fell For You,” with Benson once again stepping up to the mic for an emotional delivery of the song’s impassioned lyrics.

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,” he 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 will be touring in support of Guitar Man. The live shows will feature Benson’s masterful guitar playing, and Benson and his band will be performing classic George Benson hits along with an acoustic presentation of a few songs from Guitar Man.

Confirmed dates below (additional dates TBA):

Oct. 1 – Austin, TX – The Riverbend Centre
Oct. 2 – St. Louis, MO – Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, University of MO
Oct. 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Sage Court, JW Marriott
Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA – Symphony Hall
Oct. 19 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center
Oct. 20 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center
Oct. 21 – New York City, NY – Town Hall
Oct. 23 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

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Five Online Guitar Magazines

Personally, nothing beats getting a copy of the Total Guitar or Guitar Techniques and subsequently placing myself in a chair in the sun in the garden or cuddling up on the couch with a cup of coffee. At the same time there is a wealth of magazines available online for free. Here are five of my favorites.

Guitar Player Magazine

One of my old guitar magazines of choice, has a substantial site for the guitar player with lessons, articles, interviews, gear reviews and more. A definite recommend.  Go and visit here >>>

Premier Guitar

A comprehensive guitar magazine with everything you may expect from a modern guitar magazine. Gear reviews, lessons, and more. Go visit the magazine here >>>

A free subscription to the digital version of the magazine is available, including the option to search back issues. A big recommend.

Interactive Guitar

Guitar Interactive is the world’s first fully interactive digital magazine for guitarists the world over – and it’s completely free! Drawing on the resources of Licklibrary – the internationally renowned music teaching resource – GI brings together expert players to analyse the styles and techniques of the world’s best guitarists, which you can see and hear in the hours of video that are in every issue.

An amazing new magazine and a very definite recommendation with a free subscription available here >>>. What appealed especially is the way in which the magazine actually reads like a magazine but on screen.

Total Guitar

One of my favorite magazines to pick up in the shop and read. It comes with a free CD/DVD with further instructions, lessons and play along tracks. Go see the magazine here >>>.

Guitar Techniques

It is through this magazine that I keep myself growing. Monthly lessons that push the beginner as well as the advanced players. Great magazine that comes with a CD/DVD with further information, lessons and sound samples. My favorite.

Go visit the site and magazine here >>>

What are your Favorite Guitar Magazines?

It is impossible I guess to be complete, else Id spend more time browsing and reading that playing. So I limited myself to five of my favorites here. What are some of your favorite music magazines and why?  I look forward to hearing about your recommendations.

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Gary Moore remembering a great guitarist

For those of you who have not heard the news: blues rock guitar legend Gary Moore passed away earlier this month in his hotel room in Spain and was buried yesterday in a small graveyard in Brighton, where he’d been living the last fifteen years.

My first encounter with Gary Moore was when I heard the song Parisienne Walkways.

And another one of my favorites used to be The Loner

For me Gary Moore is what making a note is all about, very much like with Santana. And let that be the most important memory be for any guitarist to take along. He was one of those guys that had a voice on his guitar.

This in memoriam would in my view not be complete without the last song: Still Got the Blues, through which he reappeared in the charts. Without a doubt you’ll be able to come up with many more songs but to me these three songs are the Gary Moore that I remember and loved.

In any event I’ll close off with Messiah will come again, what an amazing player. Thanks for all that great music and ongoing inspiration and may you rest in peace.

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Amazing Rhythm Guitar: Rodrigo y Gabriela

I guess the summer brings out this desire to pick up the acoustic guitar more and play on that. Besides that I have found myself appreciating the acoustic guitar more and more and at times even over the electric. But mist of all it is easier to pick up and play, in the sun, under the umbrella, when there are friends around for a but of a sing along and to play and sing Christian songs as a way of personal praise throughout the week.  Besides that I have discovered the joy of playing with different tunings and have been experimenting with the C tuning recently (video to come soon).

In all this, my (soon to be busking buddy ggg, you know who you are) sent me a you tube link to a song called Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriella, two people that left the metal rock band scene to go out and busk Now while it is easy to be distracted by all the beautiful melodies, what really hit me was the amazing rhythm guitar of Gabriella.

And to get a better idea of what she’s all about rhythmically I suggest the next video.

A here two video lessons by these two awesome players.

Have fun!

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A Salute to my Master: Klaus Flenter

By accident I stumbled upon some information about my teacher from back than: Klaus Flenter, one of the greats when it comes to chord melody jazz guitar playing in the Netherlands and beyond.The first video is a trio version of the song Green Dolphin Street.

If anything I will always remember Klaus as the one that solidified my love for chord melody guitar playing and what a joy to see my old teacher going on like this and like on the next video where the trio plays Misty.

Klaus, my old master, thanks for all the great stuff you taught me over the years at the Conservatory in Rotterdam and even now when looking at these videos.

Thoughts on play along tracks and metronomes

I get regular questions on  whether to use a play along track or a metronome .

I guess it depends somewhat on the purpose: both are equally capable of helping you with your time. At the same time however when it comes to using it form the purpose of improvisation, I generally prefer the metronome. While having the whole band behind you, for instance using Band-in-a-Box or play along CD’s I generally find that they are a limitation to my imagination.I can’t help but feeling that when it comes to improvisation practice: less is more. So I would generally prefer a metronome.

At the same time however I realize that it may well not be that easy to hear the harmonic structure of a sing and improvise on that especially when you are starting out. I guess that is where I’d go for using a midi file or band in a box file with just the bass.

Thinking Outside of the Box: Steve Vai on the Creative Process

Last night by accident almost I stumbled upon the YouTube Channel of Steve Vai here >>> to be amazed by all the videos with such incredible guitar playing. But that actually was not what amazed me most. I was really blown away by the new band String Theory and the set up with two violin players (one traditional and one electric).  It is yet another example of how THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX  really frees up for new possibilities and sounds, in this case due to the two violins.

Don’t you just love the way these instruments blend together, I know I do and what’s more. I have been writing new music and felt like arranging it with so that my very talented cousin could play his violin in there but was not sure how to get it so that it would be more than just an intro and than over and done. Than you Steve for opening up my world of possibilities again. At the same time: it meant two scores in the fireplace and back to the drawing board. Normally I’d be sad about that this time I am excited!

Here is another be blown away from the same band. Love those incredible harmonies.

I remember well how much I enjoyed my holiday in Bulgaria years ago staying in the ancient city of Nessebur and its beautiful people and how could I forget our stray dog that followed us around everywhere and would be there in the morning waiting for us. When seeing the video below which deals with Steve Vai’s creative process I started wondering if I had missed something there.

The most important lesson in here is I guess for me is: DO NOT STICK TO WHAT YOUR FINGERS ARE TELLING YOU BUT TELL YOUR FINGERS WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. I remember well how I wrote some music for my good friend Michael Pokocky but could not play it that point (actually studying to get it fluent), it was the very same thing!

Have fun playing and writing.

Carlos Santana: Surrounded by Angels

What can I say: Carlos Santana is the very reason I started playing and still am playing guitar. Since my conversion his music and person have become of even greater relevance to me. I have a renewed and different appreciation for his music. I see someone that has been seeking and finding, someone with complete dedication, someone that plays to serve instead of being served, someone that heals through music. A very humble person and an example and inspiration for what is and is to come if God wills.

I have had several occasions now where it feels as such a privilege to play and actually receive such incredible guidance an inspiration where none is deserved. More and more I believe that the best way for me to pray and worship is actually through my guitar. I can’t help but feeling that watching Santana play is actually sort of like an example, a manual even as to how to do just that. The music of Carlos Santana seems so often like the perfect worship song to me, less words and more music and most of all relevant. THE REAL DEAL, naked and honest, where “it is in the giving that we receive” is actually embodied in the music.

The other day I stumbled upon the Youtube video below, of Carlos Santana live in Mexico. In the intro of the song he speaks to the audience in Spanish but through the translation of the introduction of the song I came across this quote that has stuck with me all day and will probably be there for a very long time to come.

Remember,

If we take the time to see with the heart and not with the mind, we shall see that we are surrounded completely by angels.
We shall see them and feel them dancing; always dancing in the flesh.

Another great quote by the same man to close this post:

When it is raining everyone gets wet, it doesn’t matter whether you are someone poor or the pope. That is the unity I want to express with my music.

That is what will be my leading word of inspiration for the coming period when I write new music.