Product Description

George Benson performs with his group during his Northern Ireland tour. This concert was filmed just months ago, on Sunday, May 28th, 2000 at the Belfast Waterfront Hall in Belfast. George Benson performs with his group featuring special guest Joe Sample, the BBC Big Band and members of the Ulster Orchestra. Songs on this live recording include "This Masquerade", "Breezin'", "Give Me The Night", "On Broadway", "Turn Your Love Around", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Hippin' The Hop", "Danny Boy", "Deeper Than You Think", "Love x Love", "Never Give Up on a Good Thing", "Moody's Mood", "In Your Eyes", and more. The George Benson group is: George Benson - Guitar/Vocals; Joe Sample - Keyboards; Stanley Banks - Bass Guitar; Thomas Hall - Keyboards; Michael O'Neill - Guitar/Vocals; Dennis Saucedo - Pecussion/Vocals; Michael White - Drums; David William - Musical Director and Piano.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50016 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-01-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Live, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.com
Toward the beginning of his 90-minute set recorded on May 27, 2000, in Belfast, Ireland, George Benson gushes that he's always had a fantasy of fronting a big band and covering jazz classics. It becomes increasingly clear, however, that some fantasies should remain just that. There's no questioning Benson's contribution to jazz over the years. He's been hailed as one of the genre's finest, most expressive, and fluid guitarists. His ability to cross numerous genres is impeccable and he's influenced a generation of players. However when Benson ditches his guitar in favor of singing--something he started doing in the '70s and does frequently during this show--his material suffers. While his vocal range is impressive on songs like "I Only Have Eyes for You" and on his own hits like "This Masquerade" and "Breezin'," his style is awkward and often forced, and his numerous attempts at scat singing prove that Louis Armstrong he's not. Experiments are fine, but Benson should remember what instrument brought him to the dance. --Dave McCoy

From the Back Cover
One of music's most magnetic performers, George Benson shines in this live performance. Recorded at Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Ireland, this performance highlights the versatility of George Benson. With guest appearances by jazz legend Joe Sample, the BBC Big Band, and musicians from the Ulster Orchestra, George delights his fans with his straight-ahead jazz hits, contemporary R&B classics, and fresh interpretations of elegant and timeless standards. The program:

1. All of Me
2. I Only Have Eyes for You
3. Beyond the Sea
4. Deeper Than You Think
5. Hipping the Hop
6. Lately
7. The Ghetto
8. In Your Eyes
9. Moody's Mood
10. Danny Boy
11. This Masquerade
12. Breezin'
13. Love x Love
14. Turn Your Love Around
15. Never Give Up on a Good Thing
16. Give Me the Night
17. On Broadway

Customer Reviews

Reference DVD
George benson refined and in sync with a great orchestra.

will re-established what has already been said here, this is a great dvd, with not one moment of slack here.

Disappointing
Unfortunately on this DVD, Benson seems to have been an addition to the BBC Big band /Orchestra rather than the other way round. The male drummer and 2nd guitarist are the only backing singers and are absolutely useless at it, completely unable to reach the highs most notably in "Give me the night" which just sound ridiculous. Bizarrely it looks like someone thought it would be a good idea to have middle aged women dancing in the front, one of whom cringemakingly gets up on stage bumping and grinding while Benson struggles to carry on not knowing what she is going to do next. Benson looks like a fish out of water throughout the whole thing and just plays completely unenthusiastically, looking like he can't wait to finish it. AVOID this, get the Montreux DVD and hope for a new tour and accompanying DVD a LOT better than this one!!

Rebuttal
"I'm never gonna drive my Ferrari again - not after that bug hit the windshield".
OK, there is a brief - maybe 30 seconds long - incident with a probably inebriated woman, but it's not that big a deal, folks! Benson handled the situation with class and dignity as one would expect. The music went on without interruption. And yes, these things do happen at live concerts. Some folks need to lighten up a little.
Benson is an amazing performer and this DVD shows off his incredible talent and versatility. The set list includes his biggest hit songs, and the audience is enjoying every delicious morsel of it. Who can blame them for wanting to dance? I couldn't sit still while watching it in my living room.
If you like George Benson, you will probably enjoy this concert. On the other hand, if you're the type that would toss out the Ferrari because a bug hit the windshield, this concert may not be for you.