“Usher-Essential Mixes-2010? The ‘remix’ has grown from a nice club-oriented novelty in the late ’70s and early ’80s to an art form in the millennium. From extended workouts to radical reworkings, the ‘remix’ has managed to turn humble DJs and producers into superstars. While some DJs have become even more recognizable than the acts that they work with, that is not the case here. From the first note to the last, this collection of classic and ‘essential’ mixes will remind you of the majesty of the song and the artistry of the performer as well as the magic of the mix.

What an interesting album and what a great cross-sectional study of George Benson's evolution from young R&B based jazz-guitarist to easy jazz-pop phenomenom. Recording quality is generally good, except for 1-2 live songs. The listener can obviously take their pick which they prefer, but there's no denying that while George is best known for his Breezin and other albums from the 80's, he had a real eclectic body of work behind him that established him as a jazz leader. If you're one of those types who cry, "Hey he sold out", I'd counter that he brought the best of jazz to the pop world. The songs Breezin' and On Broadway are loads of fun, simply because they are well written and polished performances.