-
Titles says it all. Seems like traditional jazzers hate or dislike Kenny G a lot. While I don't consider myself an fanboy neccesarily I do have a copy of his "Gravity" Album. The track "Japan" is pretty awesome. Guess it could be a guilty pleasure. What's your opinion?
-
08-03-2015 11:40 PM
-
Haters gonna hate.
-
We've rehashed this any number of times. Kenny G's style could be characterized as "monochromatic." Always the same "floating" tone and limited dynamics. Not without reason is it called "easy listening." There is some improvising - I don't think KG's solos are written out. But I don't listen to jazz for "smoothness," safety, or non-challenging music. I don't hate it, but i don't listen to it or buy it.
-
It's just instrumental Pop Music. Along the same lines as Wonderland by Night or Yakety Sax. Nothing to get upset about.
Midnight in Moscow and Stranger on the Shore are a couple of others.Last edited by mrcee; 08-04-2015 at 03:47 AM.
-
I once visited a dentist office, where the doctor who was about to check on my teeth, when found out im a musician, and i like jazz, put on CD with what I think was a Kenny G. At least it sounded like that style. I didn't have a heart( or balls) to tell him I don't like it much and it makes me cringe. Whatever, the happiness of the dentist was more important.
but come to think of it, I dont have anybody in my life, and I mean anybody, who enjoys this kinda music. I guess Im lucky!
-
Kenny G is the Andre Rieu of jazz. Or maybe Andre Rieu is the Kenny G of classical music. I'm not sure which.
-
i have never heard him play jazz.
-
That track is just like jazz, just minus all the things I like about jazz.
-
I always thought that this clip from romcom Sewrendipity was kind of parody for this kind music...
My problem with pop music begins when I feel it wants to seem something more serious than it really is.
-
Some years ago when record stores were everywhere, I was browsing the jazz section when a I overheard a lady ask an assistant to direct her to the Kenny G selection. The young assistant had no idea who Kenny G was, so I offered to assist by stating, " I can understand your difficulty in locating them as it appears someone has inadvertently mis-filed them in the jazz section." My sarcasm went unnoticed , she kindly thanked me and purchased two of his CD's !
-
Yeah, it's kind of like jazz with lobotomy.
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
-
Originally Posted by Jonah
Chris Rock is in it so it's OK.
-
I don't think it's Kenny G himself that jazzer hate. Many jazzers probably wish they could play their instruments as well as Kenny G plays his. It's the music he makes with his instrument that most hate. As a vocalist, I could say the same thing about listening to Michael Bolton. He always seems to be whining instead of singing. I remember once seeing Bolton and Kenny performing together on an awards show on television. PAINFULLY ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!
-
For me his playing is fine - it's the flat, saturated, depressing, moribund backing track that's the problem. I get the feeling that the above track/melody played with a competent bass & drums would sound a whole lot better and give the melody room to breathe. But then of course you loose the smooth safe vibe.
This sort of stuff can be done well - take Miles Davis' work with Marcus Miller; wouldn't call it jazz necessarily - but really interesting music nonetheless.
-
In order for Kenny G. to be the black sheep of jazz, he must first play jazz.
-
To me it's exactly his playing that makes all the difference with Miles' record... of course backing track is also important but to me Miles' long career moving through all the styles shows that it's the soloist who makes it jazz...For me his playing is fine - it's the flat, saturated, depressing, moribund backing track that's the problem. I get the feeling that the above track/melody played with a competent bass & drums would sound a whole lot better and give the melody room to breathe. But then of course you loose the smooth safe vibe.
This sort of stuff can be done well - take Miles Davis' work with Marcus Miller; wouldn't call it jazz necessarily - but really interesting music nonetheless.
When Miles is playing pop-standard Time After Time it becomes jazz, when Kenny G plays sme jazz standard it's not jazz any more...
To be true for me it's strange that his name is discussed on jazz forums so often... I heard him only on TV clips aometime and never thought of him as of jazz.... regular corny instrumental pop
-
To be fair...kenny takes himself less seriously than most jazzers and there-s always the stuff he did with jeff lorber fusion......
-
Originally Posted by Patrick2
-
Nice parody someone made there. The intentional "bad" sax playing actually sounds more interesting than the real Kenny's, in a "free jazz" kinda way, which I'm not big on, but given the alternative of that or kenny smooth jazz, hmm...it's a tough toss up.
Last edited by timjgbeun; 08-10-2015 at 12:36 AM.
-
Say what you want about Kenny G but his circular breathing technique is pretty damn impressive. That man can blow notes for days.
Kenny Grolnick, the white cat black sheep of jazz.
-
KG' music is not anything i like but I don't like any smooth jazz other than Breezin', of course.
Nevertheless I respect the guy's popularity and achieved success and he makes some funny TV commercials making fun of himself, so overall, seems like an entertaining fellow.
-
Don't argue with success has always been one of my mottos. That's one of the beautiful things about music. There's a honesty factor. An artist can go into a museum and shovel hot garbage on the floor and make a million dollars but in music I don't think that's going to happen. Music has got to add up on some level or it won't succeed in a large market. Originally Posted by mikeSF
A person could record themselves screaming nonsense a capella on their cell phone and it's unlikely that it's going get on the charts.
-
Personally, presented with a choice, I would rather listen to a screaming nonsense a capella than Kenny G. Originally Posted by mrcee
But you are right, it's hard to argue, Kenny G music sells, and sells a lot. Just another reminder the world is a depressing place to live.
-
Even more depressing, I believe even Kenny G does not make much of a living from music these days. I read somewhere he now makes most of his money tracking shares on the stock market with a computer or something like that. Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
-
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos