Category: toronto jazz festival

As the sun sets over Nathan Philip square there is a palpable feeling of excitement as people await the Legendary George Benson.The night begins with the opening act Tressa Levassuer who, accompanied by her seven piece band, opened with their song “Where Did I go”. A mixture of jazz-infused pop with a bit of soul, they got the crowd toe-tapping and set the beat for the evening. One of my personal favourites is a song she wrote for her 17-year- old daughter, which included a dialogue about “whatever happened to decency”, a banter between mother and daughter, which I’m sure many mothers could relate with.

When they finished their set, there was a buzz in the air. Amongst the swirl of purple and white lighting there was an excited energy as the crowd awaited the main act, legendary jazz performer and 10 time grammy award winning George Benson. Known for such hits as “Affirmation”, Mr. Benson and his band took the stage and the crowd began to cheer. Still going incredibly strong after over 30 years in the music industry, he opened with their hit song “breezin” and the air became thick with the infectious sound of jazz fusion. Alternating between guitar and vocals and just guitar, the set did not disappoint, and even included some classic scat style. The communication between the band and audience was felt and Mr. Benson said “All over the world this song resonated” before going into “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You” in which the crowd enthusiastically applauded. A favourite included the 1950’s classic hit “Tequila”. A crowd pleaser which was turned in to a classic George Benson style of jazz, it included a guitar solo which was mesmerizing. As one of his last song’s of the night started, a solid disco beat began and the crowd was on its feet as the beat turned in to one of their biggest hits “Give Me The Night”.

This writer wasn’t brave enough to dance, but I was definitely dancing in my seat. It was obvious that George Benson and his 5 piece band were in to all the songs and that resonated with the audience. With the encouragement of the bassist Ron Carter even more people got to their feet and dancing ensued.

After “Give Me The Night” Mr. Benson left the stage but the rest of the band remained. A three set encore commenced with the classic “Since I Fell For You” and ended with an excellent cover of “On Broadway” with an amazing drum solo. Although my own personal favourite “This Masquerade” was not played it was of little consequence. It was a very memorable evening and George Benson has proved he is still relevant in an age of auto tune and simple pop melodies.

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