George Benson — Weekend In London

In the music world, you have certain artists and musicians who through years of releasing albums, extensive global touring and overall hard work are able to reach a moment of their career where they are fortunate enough to be able to perform live at a venue of any size anywhere in the world whether it be The Sydney Opera House in Australia, Madison Square Gardens in New York City or in the case of Mr George Benson’s latest live offering the 250-capacity Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London, United Kingdom.

Recorded over three-sold out shows across a weekend, Weekend In London is produced by Kevin Shirley whose past credits include Benson’s label-mate Joe Bonamassa and rock music titans Aerosmith to name but a few. Tickets for the shows were like the live music equivalent of the Golden Ticket in ‘Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory’ but the audio of these atmospheric evenings was captured for the world to hear.

The evening introduction explained that it was forty-five years since George Benson had first performed at Ronnie Scotts and Benson with his six-piece band took to the stage the applause and cheering welcomed them as they went straight into the 1980s #4 hit ‘Give Me The Night’ as the set-opener! The lead vocal is so soulful and beautifully framed by the funky drums, lush backing vocals and groovy bass. The lead fluid electric guitar tone pours out like honey and it is absolutely spellbinding.

The silky piano on the catchy ‘Turn Your Love Around’ is perfect for these intimate surroundings and the lyrics on ‘Love X Love’ are relatable as Benson sings “I remember the days when we never had a dime” and it is the music equivalent of a giant hug and I’m sure this has been the first dance song at a lot of weddings.

The percussive ‘In Your Eyes’ is a vocal highlight with his ability to tell stories with such warmth as the electric guitar solo rises like a majestic phoenix whilst their take on the classic Fats Domino ‘I Hear You Knocking’ which was taken from his 45^th album ‘Walking To New Orleans’ sounds very Christmassy to this scribe and the backing vocals of Liliana de Los Reynes are filled with gorgeous harmonies.

‘Feel Like Makin’Love’ is Benson’s own composition and not to be confused with the Bad Company song as he scats masterfully.

The intro on Donny Hathaway’s ‘The Ghetto’ is pure late-night jazz club vibe as the Herbie Hancock-Esque piano flows on this improvised record which proves that sometimes it works to not over-rehearse and just live in the moment.

 ‘Love Ballad’ puts a spring in your step and ‘Never Give Up On A Good Thing’ showcases George Benson’s incredible ability to write songs about the human condition especially when it comes to love and relationships.

An important point about the guitar sound on this album especially on ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight’ and ‘Affirmation’ is that the songs are allowed to breathe so that the lyrics and musicians can shine. Closing with instrumental ‘Cruise Control’, it paints pictures in the mind of driving on a long road with the sun beaming down and it is a rousing finish with the capacity crowd clapping and cheering ‘More!’

In conclusion, with such a rich back-catalogue, his phenomenal live band and the slick production, Weekend In London is one of the greatest live music offerings which has something for everyone whether you are a guitar enthusiast,  a lover of soulful voices and someone who appreciates first-class songwriting. Absolutely magical.

George Benson’s new live album ‘Weekend in London’ is out now on Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group. For more information visit www.georgebenson.com

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