George Benson plays the blues over rhythm changes 

"If George Benson put out a new trio album once a year the world would be a much better place "---Pat Metheny

Outstanding! I took lessons from George in the late '70s, and have never forgotten what he taught me about being a musician.

Time to go practice

I mean, I would have paid good money to just sit and listen to this whole conversation in person. Benson is the fucking man.

George Benson, one of the greatest guitars players ever, when asked about a concept he starts giving credit to someone else: that is greatness !

George Benson plays like Wes Montgomery - with his thumb. Amazing.

I liked his singing most of all, accompanying himself

Doesn't it just tear you up when someone makes it look easier than a walk in the park? Man he's GOOD!

There was a time when I was new to blues and a complete novice at listening to jazz when I couldn't hear the blues in George Benson's playing at all. I'm living proof that you can actually train your ears

Let's forget how good of a singer George Benson is. The thing they don't mention is that all those lines he's playing, he's singing, whether he's moving his lips or not. He just happens to know where all those vocal notes are at any given moment. Totally inspiring.

George is a true genius. He is also very funny and kind and a true gentleman.

Nothing like being in the presence of a Master. I sat in Ronnie Jordan's living room once and listened to him play the guitar.. brought me to tears.

"George Benson plays the blues over rhythm changes..." This may be the single most provocative title I have ever seen on RU-vid: The most important set of chord changes in the Jazz Idiom are "Blues Changes;" the second most important set of changes are the changes to Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm," which is why they are referred to as "Rhythm Changes." What Benson is demonstrating here is that when this music is played knowledgeably, the tradition requires of you that you not only play what you know "music theory" demands (or in Benson's case, "ears" demand), but that you also embrace, as a resource, the roots of this music, the Blues. The most intellectual Jazz phrase ever played is only enhanced with a Blues punctuation. (Getting to see Benson channel his "inner-Wes," up close, is such a treat!)

I love listening to him talk! I could listen to him teach all day.

it 's interesting to see what complete mastery looks like up close.....

George Benson is a national treasure!

Every guitarist who watches this hits the woodshed immediately after.

George Benson- fantastic guitar player, ultimate gentleman.

There is an entire semester's worth of information in this mere 4 minutes. George Benson, as a jazz academic, is vastly UNDERrated! Pure genius.

He's playing all the notes with his thumb and barley his other fingers. That's how legendary this man is

A true master of the guitar, George is never too busy to show how it's done.

George Benson is such a natural he doesn't even know how to explain what he does. He just does what he does. Jazz guitarists have broken down and dissected his technique for years but they become technical at it. Just like Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix were naturals, anyone who copies them become technical. I hope that makes sense to somebody.

i just have to throw my guitars away and cry after watchiing this

"Can you slow it down">> "Can you slow it down a little bit more"?>>>>"Can you slow it down even more"?>>>Me>>>STILL LOST

Wow! It's like he has every song, in his head, ready to feed a lick or chord, to the PRFCT spot. The Best.

One of my favorite players ever. I love listening to anything he does.

Every time George plays and sings it makes me so god damn happy

Yes, George....We’re out here, and we’re listening!

2:13 What a lick. I will be lifting that one for sure.

The talent of this man is cosmic

OMG Oh My God this is the great Master! thank you Jody Fisher!!!

The personification of the music! God bless Mr. Benson!

I had the privilege of being taken, by my dad, to see George at Ronnie Scott's in the mid 70s supported by the great Irish guitarist Louis Stewart. The set was entirely instrumental and utterly brilliant. I still beam at the memories.

He just has an incredible sense and conception of music and how to bring that out through his instrument. it's really incredible.

George Benson, you are a national musical treasure. One of the all-time best, guitarist/singer/musician.

A friend of mine, Leon Richardson, taught me that kind of playing. Leon played with the Sons Of The Pioneers. He played the same Fender Jaguar and Jazz Master guitars since he bought them in the 50's. Rest In Peace. Leon...

Man, that dude is an absolute LEGEND!!

If anybody has bragging rights.. it's George.. I still can't wrap my head around his playing..

Yes,thank you very much for these free music classes you gave on this program mr George Benson !

Ive seriously learned so much from this video.... this is my favorite guitar lesson video ever... George Benson is truly a genius and a master.

Everytime I listen to this guy, then practice some licks; I feel like I haven't done shit to my guitars, but HE IS MY FAVOURITE OF ALL TIME!!

Always come back to this video! And always learn something from transcribing parts of this. George is the man!

George is such an awesome musician. It's great to hear him discuss how he's doing what he does and to hear him speak on what's going on in his mind as he's doing it. The Host did a great job in bringing that out of him!

Benson = the master of all masters legendary playing even today! :-)

Love the harmonized triads and blues based double- stops George uses. Sounds so in-the-pocket and simple -- it's not.

George Benson is instant music generator! All those spontaneous phrases contain so much music and melody.

Thankyou Mr George Benson for sharing your music and teaching us more about the joy of music.

In my opinion is not surprising that blues goes so well over these jazz progressions, as blues was an extremely important evolutionary aspect of jazz, and its so important to understand and feel before you move into jazz.

Over my head. Benson is just a master.

Those two are having so much fun. Both excellent musicians. Love it. Love it. The skat singing. Always have loved George Bensen.❤

Yes,I'm out here,George! The way you pull it all together is Fantastic,no body does it better!!!

George is a modern day Mozart with out any doubt. Thx Gorgeous George it's all in the swing and ya got that in spades. Im in love for ever more. Come on baby!!!!!

George was such a great influence in my becoming a musician , I named my last son after him.

Not everyday that you see jody fisher and George benson together this is great stuff

This video never gets old!

I love how awesome guitarists such as Benson and Knopfler play 'everything' with their fingers. Extremely impressive and it sounds perfect. This vid has inspired me to start playing with fingers only.

Wow!!Bro.George is sooo in a class all by itself & since i met him with my awesome brother Stanley Banks back in 1998 at the GrandHyatt Singapore..this Cat has this extreme Intensity & Explosive approach to whatever Music he attempts!!!We got to sing "Moody's Mood" together in that Lobby w/nice reverb too, i must add, it was sheer magic to share that same Vibe & Space with him!!OD bless you Bro.George & hope to meet up with you again before TIME slips away from us!!TakeCare & PEACE be with too!

His voice is pure gold as his flawless guitar playing.

3:12 this is the funniest and most beautiful thing I have ever seen “what about the bridge?” - “the bridge? Play it” and then plays mind-blowingly sweet licks

This is what i aim in life

It's mind boggling to me how he was able to articulate each note with such speed using only his thumb.

I love both of these guys. It's cool to see them play together.

Wow, that was amazing! Thanks for reminding me of George Benson.

That man accomplished more with his right thumb in four minutes than I have at work so far this quarter...

its more like jazz than blues, but still, its my ambition as a musician to beable to navigate the fret board as freely as this guy!

George, I've been mesmerized with your playing for over 40 years and the trip goes on :)

Always enjoyed Mr. Bensons music.

2:06 through 2:12. The greatest example of hybrid country blues with double stops. reminds one of Charlie Christian, Chet Atkins, Rosetta Tharpe, and brothers Phineas and Calvin Newborn. Blues tells a deep story. Write yours.

When you ask them how they do it, jazz guitarists divide into two groups, the academics and the geniuses. The academics explain their playing with higher mathmatics whereas the geniuses go: "deepndoobedoobedap, dapn dap boodeeboodee da da dapn doo doodam..."

fabulous duo on the highest level !

Is there any guitarist more pleasant. The cool and charisma he has just makes you want to be a better musician and person.

Embarrassed to say this but I never knew he was such a brilliant guitarist. I only really knew the name. I'm going to really start listening to his stuff.

Some say the fastest animal on the planet is the cheetah, it's actually George Benson's thumb.

Wow,i will never be tired to see and listen to Mr George Benson music ...

I just stumbled across this and WOW!!! I guess I'm a George Benson fan now. Never heard of the dude before today, but thanks to the internet, I should be able to catch up quick. Gotta LOVE the internet!!!

Master!!

You never hear his fingers slide against the strings. Soooooo clean.

Brilliant playing , by both! Great sounding, too.

George plays on a whole other plane of existence from anything I’ve ever done. He’s the very best as far as I’m concerned.

Amazing that he can finger-pick his fusion magic with his thumb ONLY. .... Benson is at some level WAY above what we call Mastery.

He "paid attention" to Charlie Christian. That's his secret for soloing. Kill me.

So much soul behind what he plays!

Love those little two note voicings he puts into his line. Like a pianist or jazz Chuck Berry licks - really fills out the sound nicely...

Let's also commend that Rhythm Guitarist. You have to be a virtuoso just to play rhythm for a master like George!

GB is the Michael Jordan of jazz guitar.

"Are you out there?" YES George, I am! This is the GB I know and love. That really early album he made when he was young (18?) was full of wondrous stuff like this, and someone made a tape of it for me when I was in my early twenties (late 1980s). For a while I played almost nothing else while driving around in my car. Just loved it! I remember a fantastic baritone player who was on it too, can't recall his name, but what a sound they all made. What a sound! EDIT: I probably misremembered. A quick search reveals that I'm thinking of It's Uptown, which he made in 1966 so he must have been about 23. And the baritone was Ronnie Cuber. And of course, Doctor Lonnie Smith on the organ. Great band!

Totally humble genius - willing to demonstrate. God bless GB.

Ok, so I just came back to this lesson after about a year and I undestood just a little bit more from it. See you soon!

too much talent in one man

Beautiful!!!

Love both these great players!!

Just imagine sitting there....and George Benson sits there next to you, doing his mojo....making his faces at you while pulling of these amazing things....next day you come home, see your house burned down...you would just shrug and laugh.

damn.. and he only used his thumb yet it sounded great

I love him more than ever

great playing!! LOVED IT

Please retitle this video to: "George Benson plays the blues over rhythm changes with this THUMB"

I think I'm gonna take a walk.

Transcription here : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YT1_CnFcGnc.html

I first discovered George Benson as a young man, and over the years have treasured his music more and more.

Just when you thought you had a handle on this guitar playin thing....along comes George