Take Five
George Benson, 1974, from Bad Benson. Solo by George Benson.
George Benson brings a soul-jazz warmth to Paul Desmond's famous tune in five, which Dave Brubeck's quartet made a standard. The odd meter never trips him up; instead he uses it as a springboard for long, fluid bebop lines that glide over the bar lines. His picking is clean and fast, but what stands out is his time feel, relaxed even when he is playing dense runs. The Ibanez hollowbody gives him a round, clear tone that lets every note of those runs speak. It is a fine example of how Benson could make technically demanding jazz sound easy and inviting. Listen for how he phrases across the five-beat cycle, sometimes starting lines in unexpected places to keep the groove feeling loose.
Take Five by George Benson is ranked #216 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by George Benson and the song was released in 1974. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #49 (Guitar Tricks).
In our lists
Sources
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #49
- uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #72
Who played the guitar solo on Take Five?
George Benson played the solo on George Benson's Take Five (1974).
Where does Take Five rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#216 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 2 of them.