George Benson’s Gibson L5

George Benson

At the turn of the 1970s, as jazz sought to reinvent itself between tradition and modernity, a guitarist with a velvety voice emerged as one of its brightest architects: George Benson. Raised in the incandescent groove of Pittsburgh, he grew up with a guitar in his hands, already playing in clubs when he was still a child. Very quickly, his style became unmistakable: a unique blend of jazz virtuosity, irresistible swing, and that soulful warmth that melts hearts.

George Benson has never pursued empty demonstration. His gift, as a master of balance, lies in making his guitar speak like a human voice, full of inflections, breaths, and smiles. When he sings, everything takes on another dimension. Tracks like Breezin’ or Give Me the Night show how effortlessly he can make a melody groove without ever losing his characteristic elegance.

Over the decades, Benson has explored every corner of African American music: jazz, soul, R&B, sophisticated pop — without ever losing that airy touch that is uniquely his own. On stage, his presence is that of a serene, generous craftsman, making the notes dance with disarming ease. Where others seek power, he favors fluidity, melody, and emotion.

George Benson is a warm voice, but also a deep relationship with guitars — a defining part of his musical identity. He has always taken great care in choosing his instruments, especially his hollow-body Ibanez guitars, which over the years have become inseparable from his elegant silhouette. More than a simple collaboration, his relationship with Ibanez gave birth to finely engineered models perfectly suited to his style: a warm, full, precise tone capable of moving from intimate jazz to the most incandescent funk. Each guitar in his collection reflects his taste for finely crafted instruments — companions with whom he sculpts his ever-refined sound.

Tireless and always curious, George Benson continues to tour the world’s stages with the same class. His recent albums, collaborations, and tributes testify to a musician who has remained true to himself: demanding, luminous, profoundly musical.