# Kenny G?!?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Along with Havergal Brian, not at all my fav by any means.










Can anyone here tolerate any of his music?


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

How much Havergal Brian have You heard? All of the 100 or symphonies?

In comparison with Kenny he was a brilliant genius of variation in classical music!

/ptr


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

As a pretty avid fan of jazz (modern progressive genres) and jazz fusion (the fiery, intense style, not the wimpy fuzak style), I can't stand Kenny G.

For a while, I didn't even consider him a jazz musician, so I was able to write him off and ignore him. But _he_ considers himself a jazz musician, so, he is placing himself among the greats and should be evaluated as such. On that level, he doesn't hold up.

His intonation does not seem to be that great, and his improvisation vocabulary is pretty limited. As Pat Metheny said in an interview, "...rhythmic problems and his harmonic and melodic vocabulary was extremely limited, mostly to pentatonic based and blues-lick derived patterns". And, "he did show a knack for connecting to the basest impulses of the large crowd by deploying his two or three most effective licks (holding long notes and playing fast runs - never mind that there were lots of harmonic clams in them) at the key moments to elicit a powerful crowd reaction (over and over again). The other main thing I noticed was that he also, as he does to this day, played horribly out of tune - consistently sharp."

Then there's that track he did where he had the audacity to overdub his noodling over the great Louis Armstrong singing, "What a Wonderful World", my dislike for him as a musician, turned to dislike for him as a person.

Again, Pat Metheny, "But when Kenny G decided that it was appropriate for him to defile the music of the man who is probably the greatest jazz musician that has ever lived by spewing his lame-***, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling, wimped out, ****** up playing all over one of the great Louis's tracks (even one of his lesser ones), he did something that I would not have imagined possible. He, in one move, through his unbelievably pretentious and calloused musical decision to embark on this most cynical of musical paths, **** all over the graves of all the musicians past and present who have risked their lives by going out there on the road for years and years developing their own music inspired by the standards of grace that Louis Armstrong brought to every single note he played over an amazing lifetime as a musician. By disrespecting Louis, his legacy and by default, everyone who has ever tried to do something positive with improvised music and what it can be, Kenny G has created a new low point in modern culture - something that we all should be totally embarrassed about - and afraid of. We ignore this, "let it slide", at our own peril."

On the plus side, his son, Max Gorelick is a very promising technical-metal guitarist. He seems to have rebelled against everything about his father's music.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Simon Moon said:


> On the plus side, his son, Max Gorelick is a very promising technical-metal guitarist. He seems to have rebelled against everything about his father's music.


That's funny, never knew Kenny G had a near-perfect death-metal name, no wonder he abbreviated it. Always confused him with Michael Notlob anyway and never really listened to either.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

No. Perhaps his biggest crime (other than his appalling hair) is spawning a million street corner buskers who peddle the same pap.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> No. Perhaps his biggest crime (other than his appalling hair) is spawning a million street corner buskers who peddle the same pap.


We should be grateful that Kenny G was not a classical musician. In that case, I would have preferred Andrea Bocelli any given day.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

ptr said:


> How much Havergal Brian have You heard? All of the 100 or symphonies?
> 
> /ptr


Are you one of those mavericks who think people should listen before forming an opinion? :devil:


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Kivimees said:


> Are you one of those mavericks who think people should listen before forming an opinion? :devil:


Nope, I'm just being deliberately provocative my friend! :tiphat:

/ptr


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

He orients a little more to smooth jazz than I prefer, but he does have some good music. My 5th grade teacher would often play his _Breathless_ album while we took tests, and that was helpful for focusing and pretty.

My favorite tune of his is "Silver Bells" from the _Miracles_ album.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I went to the public library and there you have it... Kenny G albums are classified under jazz music here in Salt Lake City rather than the easy listening section which is what I would expected it to be under.


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

I don't care about Kenny G, but I don't hate him or his music at all. Actually, I find pretty much pathetic people who are opening polls just to state how much they hate music of someone who is already bullied and hated by many (for valid and mostly non-valid reasons) and Kenny G is perfect example of hated musician by many pretentious listeners out there who obviously think they are smarter if they listen to some obnoxious and pretentious jazz that no person who's brain cells aren't dead would tolerate for any artistic or valid reason. 
Kenny G may be nothing special, but he is still better than Ludovico Einaudi for example.... or that god awful and boring and dry 'Kind of Blue' album by Miles Davis. Damn... I made right now such nonsense comparision. I already see torches and pitchforks.

Why classify his music under any genre? Is that such a problem to correctly classify someone's music considering genre? He makes instrumental music on sax. That's it. If someone wants to label him as jazz or classical music, why should you care? 

Why try to glorify jazz simply by saying obvious and predictable things about Kenny G? Probably your sacred cow genre wouldn't be so great if you would not be able to find something that is so much 'inferior' to jazz? So, there we go with predictable human psychology it seems. We can't recognize the light if there is no darkness. At least Kenny G is on the dark side. That is something that no pretentious, boring, noodling and modal jazz player could say about himself because no matter how awful and meaningless his music is he would always be justified by mass of pseudo intelectual jazz listeners who will always have to say much much more about Kenny G they hate than about music that they do like. 

Actually, you should be ashamed for listening to jazz because Kenny G and everybody else are labeling him as jazz. 

So, here is your IQ test: if Kenny G is jazz and Kenny G sucks, does that mean that some jazz sucks? 
a) yes
b) no
c) too little information
d) I don't know because I listen to jazz only so other people would think that I'm smarter than I am. 

Choose your answer!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Albert7 said:


> I went to the public library and there you have it... Kenny G albums are classified under jazz music here in Salt Lake City rather than the easy listening section which is what I would expected it to be under.


Whatever the category I still think that his albums should contain Safety Data sheets and hazard warning symbols rather than sleeve-notes and price tags.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

nikola said:


> Kenny G may be nothing special, but he is still better than Ludovico Einaudi for example.... or that god awful and boring and dry 'Kind of Blue' album by Miles Davis. Damn... I made right now such nonsense comparision. I already see torches and pitchforks.


Sharpening mine right now.


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## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

GreenMamba said:


> Sharpening mine right now.


I'm getting the torches.


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

I knew it ....


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

This man is unstoppable. He even has a new album for 2015?!


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

I will say, I don't think Kenny G is any worse than Taylor Swift (sorry, Albert), and I'd rather listen to him than ABBA, recently praised in this sub forum.

And he did a funny Snickers commercial.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Please refrain from discussing other member's tastes unless the comments are unambiguously positive. Some posts have been deleted.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

GreenMamba said:


> I will say, I don't think Kenny G is any worse than Taylor Swift (sorry, Albert), and I'd rather listen to him than ABBA, recently praised in this sub forum.
> 
> And he did a funny Snickers commercial.


I do admire Taylor Swift for writing her own songs at least... Kenny G well... another story.

I don't mind popular music but I do mind corruption of musical intention.


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## CDs (May 2, 2016)

Kenny G is probably the one artist that instantly gets the sharpest reaction at just the mention of his name.
My biggest issue with his music, like others have mentioned, is that it's bland non risk taking. It's neither great nor horrible. It's perfect for elevators or hold music. But with that said I do own a number of his CDs.
He had his start back in the early 80s with _Jeff Lorber Fusion_ where he was credited under his full name.
By the way Jeff Lorber is great!









Kenny G is on the far left.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I find him funny.


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## Iean (Nov 17, 2015)

I am not ashamed to admit that I own EVERY Kenny G. CD! I obviously love his music. Many people labeled his music as "elevator music" - well, earlier I was inside a hotel elevator and I heard REM's "Everybody Hurts" :angel: I guess a lot of people hate him not because he "pretends to be a jazz musician but is actually mutilating jazz music " but because he is so damn successful despite his "meager" talent. Same with Madonna, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber - some people cannot accept the fact that these "talentless recording artists" are topping the POP charts while their favorite super-mega-ultra talented artists with super amazing singing voices that can make chandeliers fall down when they sing are struggling to get recording contracts or are dropped by their record companies after one critically-acclaimed and universally-praised album.:angel:


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

CDs said:


> Kenny G is probably the one artist that instantly gets the sharpest reaction at just the mention of his name.
> My biggest issue with his music, like others have mentioned, is that it's bland non risk taking. It's neither great nor horrible. It's perfect for elevators or hold music. But with that said I do own a number of his CDs.
> He had his start back in the early 80s with _Jeff Lorber Fusion_ where he was credited under his full name.
> By the way Jeff Lorber is great!
> ...


not only do i like this post but both are very good! jeff lorber! yes!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

How about a thread on somebody you like? Always more mature, useful, productive.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

I do like Kenny G. He is of course not in jazz category.
Also I like Taylor Swift a lot!!


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Who the hell is Kenny G?


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

one of his firsts


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## Iean (Nov 17, 2015)

Strange Magic said:


> How about a thread on somebody you like? Always more mature, useful, productive.


Let us make this a Kenny G appreciation thread:angel:


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## Iean (Nov 17, 2015)

Albert7 said:


> This man is unstoppable. He even has a new album for 2015?!


Because MILLIONS of people are willing to pay their hard-earned cash to hear his music. :angel:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Strange Magic said:


> How about a thread on somebody you like? Always more mature, useful, productive.


This is the only Kenny G. I listen to. Mr. Garrett, who got his start with Miles Davis.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Casebearer said:


> Who the hell is Kenny G?


Google can be great in this kind of questions


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I do not like Kenny G, not a bit. Here's why. Some years back I attended a Kenny G concert at the University of Washington in Seattle. After the concert, I found that my car's dash had been ripped apart, my very fine stereo taken, the then-modern trip computer, and all the rest.

It may be unfair, but if it weren't for Kenny G, this would not have happened. So I say, fie on thee, Kenny G!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

KenOC said:


> I do not like Kenny G, not a bit. Here's why. Some years back I attended a Kenny G concert at the University of Washington in Seattle. After the concert, I found that my car's dash had been ripped apart, my very fine stereo taken, the then-modern trip computer, and all the rest.
> 
> It may be unfair, but if it weren't for Kenny G, this would not have happened. So I say, fie on thee, Kenny G!


Perfectly legitimate. I would feel exactly the same way.


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