Mark, GOOD TOPIC!

I've had, probably 10 benchmark songs in my life. One of them was George Benson's version of Leon Russell's "Masquerade".

I had been a Guild guitar demonstrator and met Benson as an endorser. He was playing the hell out of straight ahead jazz. Had a contract with Verve, I believe it was, and was selling about 400,000 albums with every release.

When we talked, he was making about the same as I was as a corporate director. Making it in jazz (he was at the top of his field) was rough.

He had finished his contract and was going to Hawaii to dig foundations (at least that's the story I heard).

He was called into a session and was fooling around with the lead line and scat vocal he is credited for developing. A producer walked by and the rest, as they say, is history.

Breezin', his 1976 mega album, was a 17 million hit and the first of many.

At the time, I was completely burned out...tired of playing the same material every night...working all day, teaching, trying to run a small farm and playing 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM Mon-Thursday; then 5:00 PM to 4:00 AM Friday and Saturday.

I was going to work to hand in my notice Saturday, when I turned on the radio and heard an unrecognized vocalist, singing a really innovative version of a favorite. I had enjoyed the song by the Carpenters and Leon, himself. That, of course, was the Benson recording.

This marvelous piece showed me there is NEVER a reason to be bored with having the privilege of playing, and taught me the importance of interpretation...putting your own "stamp" on material.

Benson took all kinds of flack from the purists, but, by that time, he was too rich to give a damn (LOL).

And, even now, every night, as I play those intoxicating notes to the intro of Masquerade I break out into a big, silly smile.


Russ