He is a rare commodity, heartwarmingly special and he enveloped the Burj Park on Friday night like an intoxicating gas as we all swooned in the wonderful world of the incomparable George Benson, arguably one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history.
If anyone ever had any lingering doubts that age may have dimmed the amazing talents of this 69-year-old guitar virtuoso, then this night provided all the evidence that was needed to confirm that Benson remains as valuable and relevant to the music industry as he was in the late 60s and 70s.
The 10-time Grammy winning superstar showed that he is still at the top his game with a powerhouse performance that tested the very foundations of the imposing Burj Khalifa.
“I can’t believe it that I’m in Downtown Dubai and playing in front of this fantastic building,” Benson gushed, after kicking-off his two-hour set with the infectious instrumental Breezin’. “How do you like the band that I’ve brought this evening?”
Having whipped up a fervour with his opening lines Benson proceeded to showcase his incredible versatility with songs like In Your Eyes, Turn Your Love Around, Nothing’s Going To Change My Love For You and the outstanding Moody’s Mood where he treated the audience to a heavy dose of his trademark scatting along with a breath-taking guitar-solo.
Benson, who saw 10 of his albums hit the number one spot in the Billboard Chart over two glorious decades, launched into the driving and danceable Give Me The Night that brought the crowd to their feet.
Another highlight of the show was his version of The Greatest Love of All, a song that he dedicated to the late Whitney Houston, for whom it became a signature song. Even at his age Benson showed that he can still sing in a lush, soulful tenor that recalled his fellow greats Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway.
Then with musical director David Garfield providing the suave orchestral backdrops on keyboards, and the exuberant bassist Stanley Banks and drummer Will Kennedy, the thumping rhythm, Benson performed a thundering ten-minute version of On Broadway to a suitably energized audience.
Earlier in the evening British R&B sensation Gabrielle performed an entertaining one-hour set that featured most of her hit songs including Sunshine, Falling, Rise and Out of Reach.
It was one steamy night and a rip-roaring finale to the inaugural du World Music festival.
