Now, A Jazz Moment?

MUSIC: "Gotham City," CD: The Essential George Benson, Columbia/Legacy 69699 85215 2 (disc 2, cut 10)

George Benson: My favorite music's always been jazz music because it challenges me more than any other music?

NEA Jazz Master, George Benson.

George Benson: You know, I can't play the same thing I did yesterday because then it's not jazz anymore, you know? So it keeps me sharp and keeps me searching for new ways of doing things. And that challenge is what keeps music alive in me. You know, it keeps me on my toes. It keeps music interesting to me, you know, so that I feel good. When I pick up my instrument, I'm searching for something new, a new way to get in and out of different harmonies and different situations. So yeah, jazz music is and probably always will be my favorite music because of that.

MUSIC: up and fades

This Jazz Moment with guitarist George Benson was created by the National Endowment for the Arts.