England may have been playing their opening game of the World Cup but it didn’t stop more than 2,000 people turning their backs on the national team in favour of dancing the night away with jazz legend George Benson.
The 75-year-old guitarist and songwriter has written and performed so many top hits that fans flock to see him knowing they are guaranteed a brilliant night filled with cool jazz and dancefloor classics from a career stretching back more than 50 years.
On he walked to a huge ovation and launched straight into Love X Love from 1980 followed by Breezin’ from four years earlier, quickly showing that those nimble fingers were as lightning-fast as ever.
Benson has worked with just about every major star in the music business and it was to Stevie Wonder he turned for a jazz version of the Motown legend’s 1980 classic Lately followed by much-covered standard At The Mambo Inn from his own 1989 album Tenderly – Benson enjoying some impromptu sparring with musical director David Garfield.
After scoring a number of huge hits himself, Benson was happy to see Glen Medeiros take Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You from 1984 album 20/20 to the top of the charts in the UK. Benson’s original version has been a popular part of his live show and it was up next followed by disco classic Turn Your Love Around from 1981 which had the fans up on their feet.
However, just as it looked like the party had started, Benson sent everyone back to their seats with 1983 ballad In Your Eyes before getting them back on their feet with 1981 dancefloor classic Never Give Up on a Good Thing.
The yoyo performance continued with fans back in the seats again as Benson and his excellent six-piece band paid tribute to legend Glen Campbell with the poignantly heart-wrenching Wichita Lineman before playing a jazz version of the Danny Boy followed by an instrumental version of the 2002 Norah Jones’ classic Don’t Know Why with a little help from backing singer and percussionist Lilliana De Los Reyes.
The talented Ms De Los Reyes then moved front of stage to join Benson for beautiful ballad You Are The Love of My Life from 20/20, which Benson recorded with Roberta Flack.
In a period from 1978 to 1983, George Benson recorded some of the most popular songs which still pack dancefloors at clubs and parties all over the world today, After a few stop/start moments, the touch paper was lit and Symphony Hall was transported back to 80s glitterball heaven as the jazz maestro launched into Feel Like Making Love followed by Lady Love Me (One More Time) from 1983 then Love Ballad from 1979 and the main set ended with Benson’s biggest UK hit Give Me The Night which hit number 7 in 1980.
Fans on all four tiers of the magnificent hall rose to their feet as Benson and his excellent musicians left the stage for a quick breather before returning for an encore of his cover of the Drifters’ classic On Broadway which was a huge US hit in 1978 – band members given the chance to show off their excellent playing skills before they all left the stage to a huge ovation.
George Benson has been delighting audiences for more than half a century during a magnificent career full of classic hits and numerous well-deserved awards. The 10 times Grammy winner is admired and revered as one of the world’s top jazz guitarists yet comes across as a thoroughly humble person who is happy to play to packed houses of people who still love him and his music.
This is the third time I have seen Benson in five years and although the stop/start structure of this show meant it wasn’t his best, it was still a wonderful night out. Much better than watching the England football team scrape a narrow last gasp victory…
Star rating ****
Ian St Peters 