George Benson with Guild Guitar (1967)

Photo by Francis Wolff. I just stumbled across this Flickr photostream while shoving my gullet full of lunch (pretty picture, huh?). It's a VERY cool collection of Francis Wolff photography, all in color and all optimized for your computer screen. If you have the second Blue Note photo book published here in the states a few years ago you will be familiar with the images, but nice to see them in this format. Wolff was an integral part of the whole Blue Note thing - although some of the more progressive artists on the label have indicated displeasure with the change in direction of the label after founder Alfred Lion left the fold in 1967. Speaking of which, that is the year of this photo of a very young George Benson taken at Lou Donaldson's "Alligator Boogaloo" LP sessions. He is holding the current musical object of my desire, a blonde Guild archtop replete with a DeArmond 1100 Rhythm Chief pick-up. This photo just makes me want one all that much more...