Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
George Benson’s Breezin’ is one of those records that can easily be taken at face value. It’s smooth, familiar, and immediately engaging—but the more time you spend with it, the more it begins to open up, both musically and sonically.
This comparison between the new Acoustic Sounds Series 45 RPM pressing—mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab—and an early Mobile Fidelity version cut by Stan Ricker turned out to be more revealing than expected. Each presents the album with a distinct perspective. One leans toward warmth, integration, and flow; the other brings greater clarity, separation, and definition. Neither feels definitive. Instead, they suggest different ways of hearing the same performance.
There’s also the record itself to consider. Claus Ogerman’s arrangements are central to its identity, shaping the way the strings move through the soundstage and interact with the rhythm section. And Benson’s balance between guitar and vocal is handled with a kind of ease that feels natural, but is anything but casual.
The full written review is now up on Audiophilia:
audiophilia.com/reviews/2026/4/10/george-benson-breezinacoustic-sounds-series-45-rpm-2026
#GeorgeBenson #Breezin #VinylRecords #Audiophile #MobileFidelity #AcousticSounds #JazzVinyl #RecordCollectors #HiFi #AnalogAudio
00:00 Introduction
01:54 History
02:42 The Acoustic Sounds Series Reissue
05:18 The Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Reissue
06:29 Pressing Comparison
07:50 Conclusion
George Benson’s Breezin’ is one of those records that can easily be taken at face value. It’s smooth, familiar, and immediately engaging—but the more time you spend with it, the more it begins to open up, both musically and sonically.
This comparison between the new Acoustic Sounds Series 45 RPM pressing—mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab—and an early Mobile Fidelity version cut by Stan Ricker turned out to be more revealing than expected. Each presents the album with a distinct perspective. One leans toward warmth, integration, and flow; the other brings greater clarity, separation, and definition. Neither feels definitive. Instead, they suggest different ways of hearing the same performance.
There’s also the record itself to consider. Claus Ogerman’s arrangements are central to its identity, shaping the way the strings move through the soundstage and interact with the rhythm section. And Benson’s balance between guitar and vocal is handled with a kind of ease that feels natural, but is anything but casual.
The full written review is now up on Audiophilia:
audiophilia.com/reviews/2026/4/10/george-benson-breezinacoustic-sounds-series-45-rpm-2026
#GeorgeBenson #Breezin #VinylRecords #Audiophile #MobileFidelity #AcousticSounds #JazzVinyl #RecordCollectors #HiFi #AnalogAudio
00:00 Introduction
01:54 History
02:42 The Acoustic Sounds Series Reissue
05:18 The Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Reissue
06:29 Pressing Comparison
07:50 Conclusion
