A Burnaby guitarist is centre stage for a tribute to George Benson.
Olaf De Shield, lead guitarist/vocalist for Soultrax, will be onstage at Blue Frog Studios in White Rock on Friday, Sept. 21 in A Tribute: Benson, Breezin’ and the B3 Organ.
The concert, put together by De Shield and Fran Jaré – who plays the digital B3 organ – is a tribute, retrospective and reimagining of Benson’s career, spotlighting well-known songs by Benson. It will take audience members all the way back to 1966, when Benson’s first CBS record, It’s Uptown With the George Benson Quartet, was released, featuring organist Lonnie Smith.
A press release about the concert notes that De Shield is known as a “guitarist’s guitarist,” with a craft that encompasses a wide range of blues, jazz and infectious rhythms. Jaré, meanwhile, has a CD release of originals, Copy Cat Coo Coo, that was featured on CBC’s Hot Air.
For the Benson tribute, the two will be joined by a band including Dave Say on saxophone, Miles Foxx Hill on bass and Juno Award-winning Buff Allen on drums.
The show is for ages 19 and up. Tickets are $44, and doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show. Tickets and information are at www.bluefrogstudios.ca.
