KEY POINTS:
It's just been three years since George Benson last breezed through town and reminded us what a cool cat he still is.
And the singer-guitarist, who earned himself a solid jazz CV in the 60s and early 70s before he rollerskated in and out of the pop charts
during the disco era, did it again on the sold-out first of two nights at a bouncing Civic.
This time though, he came with vocalist Al Jarreau as part of a tour for their duets album Givin' It Up.
Initially, it made for an oddly paced show - 67 year-old Jarreau was effectively the support act before the pair turned jazz tag team with the 64 year-old Benson taking over for the long funky groove to the end.
The more curious aspects of the set were at the start. First there was the instrumental medley of hits the pair's backing band struck up as an intro, which should come in real handy when the album gets its own infomercial. Then there was the opening "song" Breezin', Benson's trademark instrumental to which Jarreau has added lyrics and on this occasion some decidedly off-key notes.
But then again, melodies and lyrics have long been mere rubber bands in Jarreau's hands to be stretched into all sorts of shapes - or shot across the room and lost altogether. Which is certainly what happened with his take on Elton John's Your Song early in the set (" I ho-o-o-ope you don't mi-yi-yi-yi-yi-ind ... .").
But when the singer stuck to jazz and vocalisations that interplayed with the instruments around him, or took off on rhythmic excursions - especially on his tongue-tripping version of Dave Brubeck's Take 5 or Miles Davis' Long Come Tutu - all was forgiven. Well, at least his constant sales pitches for the album to an audience who had already spent $150 each on tickets were.
If Jarreau was a bit of ham throughout, there was plenty of cheese among the rest of the pair's duets - their extra creamy versions of Seals and Croft's Summer Breeze (just to keep the "breezy" song count up) and Hall and Oates' Every Time You Go Away both suggested they were the most accomplished wedding reception band in the world.
But what players they were. Especially bassist Stanley Banks who managed to add tambourine with his left foot while his thumbs did some deep funking.
Once Benson hit the crowd-pleasing second half - which included his party piece bagpipe-impersonating instrumental of Irish lament Danny Boy or his finger-clickin' sway through Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea - the evening got its groove back and then some.
Every time the guitarist dipped his head, swung his shoulders and pulled firework melodies from the frets of his guitar while scat-singing over the top (best heard on an extended Broadway near the end). Benson proved that both he and his his jazz-powered pop have endured.
The night showed that Jarreau still vibrates in some fairly interesting ways, but Benson just swings.
