George Benson has always been a musical chameleon.
From the soothing elevator-worthy “Breezin’” to the disco strut of “Give Me the Night” to his scat-alicious cover of The Drifters’ “On Broadway,” Benson could have, at any point in his career, been dropped into the categories of smooth jazz, pop or R&B.
And 47 years after his first album, “The New Boss Guitar of George Benson,” the caramel-throated singer and exceptional guitarist is still bopping through styles.
On his recently released “Guitar Man,” Benson delicately croons Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour,” then riffs through a warm and surprisingly classy rendition of “Tequila.” But it’s his instrumental rendering of The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” that anchors the album, the song an adroit layering of his finger-picked melodies backed by lush strings and flutes.
Benson, 68, will play some of those new selections, along with classic fan favorites, at his weekend performance at Atlanta Symphony Hall, part of a small, month-long tour after making trips earlier this year to South Africa, Europe, Singapore and Australia.
Last week, an amiable Benson checked in from Paradise Valley, Ariz., where he moved a few years ago from Maui, to chat about his new record and his old flame.
Q. What can fans expect from the live show? I assume you’re still playing the classics along with your new material?
A. We have what I call the 'Benson Party' at the end of the show and the crowd always responds very well. That's my safety zone in case things go downhill, though they never have [laughs]. But I can always switch to the pop tunes that have always proven themselves. Save the ones everybody knows for the end. I also enjoy doing those songs because they've done such an incredible thing for my career.
Q. Is there anything in your catalog you’d rather forget?
A. [Laughs] You know, years ago, I used to hear my [musician] friends complain after playing a hit record for five or six years, 'Man, I'm never going to play that song anymore!' I'm very careful that everything I record is something I like to play for a long time.
Q. Regarding “Guitar Man,” how did you decide which songs to record and also which ones to sing on?
A. The producer [John Burk] knows me very well and he's always suggesting things to me and he's always blowing me up and saying, 'That sounds spectacular!' And I say, 'What's so spectacular? I'm doing what I always do.' So when I get in the studio, I get a boost from him.
We’ve got a young bass player [Ben Williams] who is the meanest [player] of all time and when I felt that band with him and Harvey [Mason] and Joe [Sample] and David [Garfield] in back of me, I said, ‘We can do anything.’
Q. Any reason why you chose “My Cherie Amour” as one of the covers?
A. We did a tribute to Stevie Wonder four or five years ago and he heard me sing that song and he jumped up in the audience to applaud. He came backstage and said, 'You've got to record that song,' so I kept that in mind. I think it's acceptable. I haven't heard from him yet, so I don't know what he thinks of it.
Q. You’ve covered Beatles songs before, but this is a particularly lovely rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
A. I wouldn't like to destroy the work of one of the greatest composers. I've become good friends with Paul – I mean, Sir Paul [laughs] – and he always says good things about me. The real Paul McCartney is really a wonderful person.
Q. Who else would you still like to work with?
A. I always bump into Chick Corea on the road and he'll play something so incredible. I owe it to myself to play with Chick.
Q. You and your wife Johnnie have been married almost 50 years now, right?
A. Forty-six years. It went by fast! We started from scratch together. I had two crisp dollar bills in my pocket on our first date and I took her to a theater that cost 40 cents and we went next door and split a corned beef sandwich. There went my $2! But once 'Breezin' came out [in 1976], it was like a rocket ship.
Concert preview
George Benson
8 p.m. Oct. 16. $39-$95. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
About the Author