Monday May 11, 2026
08:00 PM - 11:00 pm
The most celebrated living jazz guitarist, a 10-time GRAMMY winner, and a 2009 NEA Jazz Master, the legendary George Benson makes his SFJAZZ debut with this performance at Davies Symphony Hall.
A prodigiously gifted musician, the Pittsburgh native made his recorded debut for RCA Victor at the tender age of eleven and learned the jazz vocabulary during his formative years with soul-jazz organist Brother Jack McDuff, who brought the guitarist to worldwide attention.
Benson’s 1964 Prestige debut The New Boss Guitar of George Benson established him as a virtuoso instrumentalist and vital new voice in jazz, setting the stage for a remarkable series of releases that effortlessly bridge jazz, soul, and pop.
On the heels of his era-defining procession of masterful recordings for producer Creed Taylor’s CTI imprint, Benson’s 1976 Warner Brothers album Breezin’ was a worldwide smash, hitting #1 on Billboard’s jazz, pop, and R&B charts on the strength of Bobby Womack’s timeless title track and a cover of Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade,” which earned a GRAMMY for Record of the Year. Breezin’ was the first jazz album to attain platinum status with sales of over one million copies.
As a pop crossover giant, Benson followed up Breezin’ with a succession of hits including his wildly popular cover of “On Broadway” and the Quincy Jones-produced Give Me the Night.
His power and musicality undiminished at age 82, Benson makes his debut at SFJAZZ with a wide-ranging night of music from his incomparable career.
All Ages
Cover: $74.50
Various Cover: $74.50 - $204.50
