Charlie Christian, George Benson and Me - Mark Whitfield

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Jazz Guitarist extraordinaire, Mark Whitfield. Mark talks about his influences, including Charlie Christian, and George Benson, Then, with Billy Taylor's Trio, Mark plays the blues.
Mark Whitfield, guitar; Billy Taylor, piano, Chip Jackson, bass; and Steve Johns, drums.
Recorded 12/10/97.

[@jeanneannvalfre9581]

These artist are here to help heal the world with music….play on…..☮️🎶🔛🌎

[@normanspurgeon5324]

Outstanding- amazing sound that he gets from the guitar-

[@JazzVideoGuy]

agreed

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

@xboxslimkid: Mark was bensons protege, I guess you could say, back in the 1990s when Whitfield hit the scene in a big way... Benson was one of his fans, and biggest influences. Listen to "The Marksman" from the album of the same name, for proof.

[@teeski68]

Great to see him carrying on the Wes and Benson tradition

[@IBEYEBALLINU2]

BRAVO ! Quite admirable performance for many significant reasons , his sense of our musics history exemplified by the informed reference to the "single notes" technique of Charlie Christian, the multigenerational collaboration with an elder statesman of Jazz Billy Taylor on piano and perhaps above all the Father son relationship that provided his first guitar and the nurturing environment that imparts a sense of LOVE from which this music called JAZZ is created and grows and in TRUTH, LOVE is the only source that gives such noble fruit like the sweetness of AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC..

[@jroc2201]

Caught Mark at smalls a few years ago, he was awesome, I’ll never forget it

[@JonnKammeron]

Many Thanks. You Made My Day When I Heard This Music

[@rmoraespinto]

Chip played with the Elvin Jones band for sometime. Great bass player!

[@getupanddosomething]

what an incredible right hand he has! I'm gonna be shedding this guy I think!

[@WildBillCox13]

An interesting, well illustrated (musically) lesson on the lineage of Lead Guitar.

[@lasherthirteen7456]

this dude is pure fiyah!

[@LPManic]

The duet with the piano is FANTASTIC

[@JazzVideoGuy]

Billy Taylor lives.

[@georgesember9069]

Enjoyed this session very much. Very educational!

[@JazzVideoGuy]

Glad you dig!

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

Oh man, this is nice... Billy Taylor and Whitfield dueting... that's some down home, good stuff right there. Like how Mark's playing assumes a different character depending on who he's playing with. Thanks for the clip, JVG!

[@dreadnought45]

He has very good technique. Likes to play a lot of sixteenth notes. Ken, Toronto

[@rmoraespinto]

Chip Jackson was the bass player for Elvin Jone's Jazz Machine... and it is great to hear him in another situation. Thank you Bret!

[@sizwendlanzi8181]

Respkt to Mark Whitfield in that he recognizes the BIG DAWGS(Wes, G.Benson, C.Christian)!!!

[@JazzVideoGuy]

@GeorgiaBoy1961 Good point. I can hear a lot of Benson in his playing.

[@theHellzaPoppinjazz4u]

Yhank you Bret !!!!! with all my respect Sir :D

[@ltjones1220]

Just amazing!

[@CadillacL]

what a talent!

[@JazzyZenBrotha]

Very nice. I can hear some of Benson's technique in there.

[@TheBedroomblues]

Always loved this video - mainly for the moment where Mark plays with just drums. There's something I love so much about the style of playing that comes out when he's reacting to every beat with chords. If anyone could recommend something similar I'd be very grateful. The only loose comparisons I can make are so far from jazz, like certain 90's and 00's emo bands such as La Dispute or Julia or even straight rock and roll like Thee Oh Sees. The closest and most enjoyable comparison I've found yet are Still House Plants who everyone here should check out.

[@roarythunderbird]

Wow, wonderful vid!

[@mataeusv.7955]

Very impressive!😀

[@juanpablopanebianco5311]

Wonderful!

[@clarkewi]

Brilliant.

[@ryharuto]

I like that last part with the drums.

[@saltydog9914]

I like !!

[@tbcass]

@zachrhea1 I'm glad you added "for me". I like it.

[@ReneeNme]

People like to hail Stevie Ray Vaughan ( for example ) as a guitar hero ( yes, there is no doubt that he was very, very good ), but there were a myriad of well accomplished guitarists well before his time that were just as good or better. Jazz/Blues guitarists.

[@ReneeNme]

All very true. Just as an example ... A guitarist I feel that was every bit as good as Stevie was would be Rory Gallagher. Did Rory achieve the loftiness of fame that Stevie was able to achieve ? No, but he was just as good.

[@juancpgo]

I my view solo guitar playing comes down to two folks: Charlie Christian and Lonnie Johnson. After they did it, it was a given for all the other players, they all just added bits on top with their talent and luck for being born after those two.

[@artmak818]

Just mentioning Stevie and comparing him to Charlie is bringing him to the exact same level. They're both geniuses and if they've met they would never even compare each other to one another. I wonder who is harder to mimic, outside of their creativity. There is no best guitar player. Charlie would have praised Stevie, now go learn some power chords

[@lambert1702]

Good = entertaining. They are not building bridges... Stevie was more entertaining than most others and still is.

[@Creabsley]

Stevie is pure cringe. Just embarrassing. Yikes.

[@ZalMoxis]

When true talent was just a day job for these guys.....

[@sclogse1]

Funny, his first little demo of CC sound (around 38 secs) was so benson....

[@thebrooklynbrothers]

So Mark did not know about Eddie Lang (1902-1933) who was certainly one of the real pioneers to single string solo and used chords that were not really used a lot by other guitarplayers. I certainly would not regard Charlie Christian as the first solo guitarplayers. Only as one of the first who used an electric guitar with an amp.

[@humol3731]

Maravilloso

[@CaveatEmptor91]

Did you think I was insulting Joe Pass, I wasn't... Joe Pass is one of my favorite guitarists.

[@FrettieFingers]

Lawdy lawdy lawdy, just found me some gold

[@bobbybroom]

👏🏿👏🏿

[@cesargonzalezplata]

4:10 God level lick

[@tbcass]

@heftybefty2 Dude's Bass sounded great!!

[@Brunototguitar]

Damn! Just got that chop 4:10 ;)

[@erickmatthewlynch2058]

The drum guitar duo sounded so good. Reminiscent of K B.

[@trmn8rusa]

The cat has some nice chops through the II-V. He played better stuff with just the drums. Not locked down to a harmonic structure as with the bass or piano. Whitfield is a very fine guitarist in my opinion. Same league as Benson.

[@viniguitarjazz]

very good !! DON MOCK RIFS 2:30 A 2:40 ! FANTASTIC

[@SIRONEDRAGON]

cool : )

[@CaveatEmptor91]

Also, I did explain my comment, apparently not well enough. There are many virtuosos, I just cited( probably incorrectly) George Benson and Stanley Jordan as two prime examples of guitarist who could play any style and really push the limits of guitar and composition.

[@TheBedroomblues]

Could anyone please recommend me some music that is similar to when Mark plays with just the Drums. Anything at all that sounds like that - I'd love to hear more of. Thanks.

[@IDIGMUZAK]

Some other great guitarists in the same vein; Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, Jimmy Ponder, Phil Upchurch, Odonell Levy, Wes Montgomery, Eric Gale to name a few. Guys that sound like they were heavily influenced by funk and Motown.

[@marcisilagan7799]

Have you seen Von Bush Live at the Village Vanguard?

[@JonnKammeron]

Can anyone tell me the make of His guitar please ?

[@wmladams]

He's playing a Gibson.

[@timhitt5934]

are you sure?What model?

[@ruilla87]

Looks like a Gibson Es 140-T but i`m not sure :)

[@wunshiin]

didnt know doc rivers played guitar

[@tomasinacovell4293]

Charlie Christian was never filmed?

[@Asly65]

What's his guitar brand ?

[@wmladams]

Gibson.

[@commonmanofficial_6334]

@4:10 O.o

[@cnrbsmth]

I didnt see any cats?

[@babinm]

Benson from a different planet Mark's still from earth but why compare

[@megajames3000]

the lick at 3:40

[@spock23.06]

If you play guitar, play jazz.

[@ryharuto]

Paul DesRosiers He who CAN play Jazz, can play ANYTHING.

[@countryboy6767]

Um hm m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3603006936410143&id=100001026151518

[@CaveatEmptor91]

@jackthehatuk I am not an authority on jazz or guitarist technique. I am merely a fan and an aspiring musician. I have no wisdom to share, seeing as I am unaware of your current knowledge.

[@christianmani1730]

That lick at 4:10. Yikes!

[@CaveatEmptor91]

I guess what im getting at is.... most jazz/funk guitarists are kinda haunted by the fact that guys like Benson and Stanley Jordan( not the best examples) have done it all( cliche) and they(most guitarists) can only hope to make clever reproductions of things that they( legends like benson) came up with. Its not my fault you dont get it, I guess . Maybe its not a great analogy, thanks for pointing that out. I will delete it, since it takes way too much effort to explain.

[@davidcollin1436]

Pat Martino one of the greats

[@jimmywells33]

Totally ignoring Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang. They were the true Fathers of Jazz guitar.

[@AxlTerry94]

Hmm jazz guitar.......top ten jazz guitarists anyone?

[@jiyujizai]

🙄💚🌱🌾

[@jackthehatuk]

It is definitely not your fault. It is mine. But like i said i am always open to education. If you exert the necessary effort i will be a wiser man and you will have done a great thing for me. If this was the other way around i would be happy that i had helped someone understand something they didn't get. I at no point mean to offend. I just wanna know more than i know now. :-)

[@thebigbison9949]

You gotta let the audience breath a little, play like you're singing, "run out of breath" so to speak. Otherwise, suburb.

[@benjaminbyrd5568]

You play for us, Big Bison

[@rockinrobin]

Well thats how he sings then .

[@jackthehatuk]

Call me ignorant, but that is nonsensical. Virtuoso means excellence, skillful etc. Every one of the guys you mention is a virtuoso. I just don't get the monster, beasts, hiding, hack, closet thing. I am always game for education though so if you explain it more clearly i will digress. No offense intended mate.

[@simonbild67]

benson had his success as a result of his singing give me the night etc and not endless repetitive licks around rythemn changes

[@20x20Ghost]

did he die in 1942? wtf?

[@sweetsoad]

Why does that bass sound terrible?

[@rodapa1]

You could be more humble...

[@h.sinclair]

way too meaningless notes mark whitfield, I'll talk about it with you at Pat Martino's funeral..