George Benson grew up in Pittsburgh singing and playing his ukulele on the street corner and snatching every opportunity to hear the recordings of Nat “King” Cole. More than 50 years later, he pays tribute to his idol in a National Symphony Orchestra Pops concert, “An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat ‘King’ Cole.” From the ukulele, Benson moved to guitar, inspired by the jazz recordings of Wes Montgomery and Charlie Parker. Now recognized as one of the world’s greatest guitarists, he is an NEA Jazz Master with more than 30 recordings that have earned ten Grammy Awards. His latest, “Guitar Man,” will share the Kennedy Center stage with his favorites from Nat Cole’s catalog.
“From the very beginning, I picked up two-thirds of what I know from listening to him on street corners,” Benson said. “He influenced my singing style. When I first consider performing a song, you can’t beat a good melody. After that, the lyrics weigh in. Each time I go into a recording session, my goal is to do something different from the last project.”
| Onstage |
| ‘An Unforgettable tribute to Nat King Cole’ |
| Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall |
| When: 1:30 & 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: rom $20 at 202-467-4600, 800-444-1324 or kennedy-center.org |
For this concert, Benson will emphasize the legacy of Nat King Cole in songs like “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Stardust” and “Unforgettable.” Throughout the performance, he will channel the great entertainer.
“I studied acting, so the audience may discover that I become Nat,” he said. “When choosing the songs to pay tribute to him, I selected a wonderful variety. No matter what he sang, his music always gives us class.”
The second half of the show focuses on arrangements from the “Guitar Man.” For this project, Benson gathered a crack ensemble. They will join him on stage together with conductor Randy Waldman, a frequent collaborator.
“I love that fellow,” Benson said. “He was in my band for five or six years and he has a passion for complexity. Everyone in the group excels in what they do and most of the arrangements were improvised.”
The songs in the collection contrast well with one another. “Danny Boy” and “Tenderly” showcase Benson’s exquisite acoustic solo guitar technique, while everyone joins in on festive arrangements of “Tequila” and “Paper Moon.” Listening to them, one is certain that each musician is having the time of his life.
Benson’s admiration for Nat “King” Cole surges to the fore in his thoughtful approach on the album to “Since I Fell For You” and “My One and Only Love.” The superb pairing of guitar and vocals on those two numbers confirm his explanation for singing along: “I’m a romantic by nature.”
