George Benson released his first single in 1953 at the ripe old age of 10, and he’s breezed through virtually every possible iteration of jazz, from the traditional to the smooth and back again. Walking to New Orleans is an ode to and pilgrimage through the songbooks of two heroes, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, both poets and pioneers of rock ’n’ roll. Though their sound hails from south of here, and Benson is from Pittsburgh, the record was cut in Nashville and features a number of local session cats: It’s big and brassy. On his ’66 release The George Benson Cookbook, the growly baritone sax is a dominant voice. Benson has made stylistic shifts through his career, but his guitar sound has stayed remarkably consistent. His tone is plump and menacingly groovy, his lines bluesy with occasional bebop nods, his solos thoughtful and melodic. He’s even got his own model of guitar! That’s how you know you’ve really made it. 7:30 p.m. at the Ryman, 116 Fifth Ave. N. CY WINSTANLEY
George Benson
