It takes all your life just to get a portion of the things out of your head, to be able to say what you’re really hearing. Some people think one thing and say another, but the real masters, their point comes across and there’s no question about what they’re trying to say.
And you can’t take that music, put three years in it, and say: “Well, now that I’ve mastered this, I’ll add a little bit of this to it,” because that way you’ve only half done it, I believe. That’s not a cop–out or an excuse for not playing jazz–rock or other things. I have respect for all music, when it’s done by a serious person, you know.
When I hear B. B. King, I know he’s serious. When I hear James Brown into one of those very infectious tunes, I know when he’s putting me on and when he’s being real, because it comes out. It really doesn’t make any difference what you play—the thing is to be SINCERE. I like to hear music in a pure form; if I go to hear Jascha Heifetz, I want to hear him play classical music—it’s as simple as that.
George Benson
