One of the things about the greats playing smooth jazz that always kind of gets me is watching them underplay massively.

You KNOW these guys are able to play circles around what is on the record (and often, smooth jazz artists can amaze live, given the opportunity to stretch out a bit past the CD release) and can harmonically move WAY beyond the safe choices the genre makes them pick. But the record company or their management force them to play it safe, and knock off all the sharp edges, in case the consumer cuts themselves!

I have to confess... I prefer Benson's work from before the move to this 'smooth' phase. I'll even take the disco years over this!