@Einar Morland

The songs you love. The more you use Apple Music, the better the mix. Refreshed every Tuesday.

Whether it’s Monday morning or Friday night, get going with this personalised mix of upbeat music.

Songs to help you relax and unwind. Updated every Sunday.

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

The tracks you can’t get enough of lately, all in one place.

Guitarist George Benson came of age in the R&B scene of his native Pennsylvania before turning to swinging bop in the early ‘60s. As his career progressed, he moved into fusion territory, including a session with Miles Davis, and more pop-oriented work like his cover version of The Beatles' Abbey Road. Benson found his commercial groove in the ‘70s when he smoothed out his sound, introducing his soulful vocals and funkier rhythms to back up his fleet-fingered guitar improvisations and finding huge success with albums like Breezin' and Give Me The Night.

While smooth jazz was coined as a radio format more than a specific style, the umbrella term covers a broad spectrum of laidback, slinky sounds. Its earliest progenitors emerged from the jazz-fusion movement of the ‘70s—including George Benson, Earl Klugh and Spyro Gyra—forging largely instrumental tracks with pop flair, concise arrangements and a chill vibe. The music downplays the heavy improvisation component of traditional jazz forms in favour of something more atmospheric and groove-oriented, blending ideas from R&B, Brazilian music, flamenco and funk, all with a polished, easygoing veneer.

Grammy-winning saxophonist David Sanborn maintained footing in commercially popular jazz while also collaborating with a diverse array of legendary artists for more than half a century. As a teenager, he backed blues players like Albert King before joining Paul Butterfield's rock-blues outfit. Sanborn later became an in-demand session player for acts from every genre, including Billy Joel, James Brown and David Bowie. The musical virtuoso also forged his own solo career, which generated multiple gold albums, as well as TV hosting duties and soundtrack work. Sanborn passed away in May 2024 at age 78.