As Time Goes By - The Kenny G Article

The Changing Moods of Kenny G.

The fifty-one year old was born Kenny Gorelick in Seattle, Washington in 1956, better known by his stage name: Kenny G. His career began quite inauspiciously when he was inspired as a child to take up the saxophone after watching the "Ed Sullivan Show". Practicing relentlessly, he played against his favorite albums being spun on the record player, most notably among them: Grover Washington Jr. After failing the first time trying out for the school jazz band, Kenny was accepted the following year.
His passion for music eventually landed him his first gig in 1976 in Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. He played in a quick succession of bands, most notably Cold, Bold & Together and The Jeff Lorber Fusion, beginning his solo career shortly thereafter. Clive Davis, the head of Arista records at the time, heard Kenny and signed him onto his label in 1982. He released his self-titled debut album the same year, followed by G Force and Gravity, before putting out the Duotones album in 1986 with its crossover hit Songbird, arguably one of Kenny's most recognizable and successful melodies.
Kenny became one of the most sought after live performance artists in the world and artists clamored for collaborative recordings with the rising star. Kenny obliged with such famous singing artists as Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, to name but a few.
Kenny's unmistakable sound, the sonorous tones he caresses out of his soprano sax, have made him a staple of the adult contemporary and smooth jazz markets. This fame and inclusion into the smooth jazz genre has been met with its fair share of criticism as well. Many jazz artists, as well as jazz disciples from all over the world, seem to take exception with the moniker given to Kenny as the "smooth jazz king of the soprano sax." Kenny G's styling does not conform to the strict "freeform" extension defined by jazz; the improvisations that are the earmark of what began in the streets and speakeasies of the early twentieth century's New Orleans. Kenny's approach is more of melodic statements predicated by the song as a whole. This has made him a target in the eyes of the devotees of jazz who have pulled no punches in their thorough thrashing of Kenny's music on the radio, in print and especially on the internet.
Threads of messages fill jazz discussion group trashing Kenny's technique and selections and his music has been dubbed fuzac (fusion muzac) by some. Pat Metheny went so far as to issue a massive vitriolic missive on his web site forum. One point which seemed to draw the most ire from Pat; the overdubbed recording of Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World. Pat is quoted in an interview with Jazz Oasis (2000) that "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." He even goes so far as to assert that Kenny G consistently plays out of tune.
There is a perception among its followers that there is a true form of jazz and any variation is almost viewed as blasphemy. As with any other group of connoisseurs, the hardcore aficionados are making jazz a somewhat insular genre, excluding those that do not conform to their view of what the music should be. This acidic criticism one has to endure when performing in any particular genre doesn't just affect the artists. It also falls on all of the ignorant, unwashed masses who aren't "serious listeners" and don't know the true form of "jazz" as set down by the "experts." It is sad because it is an elitist tactic that excludes all those who may have an interests in any given art form or activity used by those who appoint themselves to the lofty position of "expert."
All criticism and controversy aside, Kenny G's most recent album, I'm In The Mood For Love, will not disappoint his fans. It is an eclectic collection of songs ranging from classic torch songs to modern ballads, somewhat reminiscence of the Big Band era. The album's namesake, I'm In The Mood For Love, originally penned by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh for the 1935 film Every Night at Eight, has to be the high point of the album, with an unobtrusive, romantic melody being played to perfection. Marvin Hamlisch's The Way We Were is given an equally sublime treatment while the Sinatra medley, Fly Me To The Moon/You Make Me Feel So Young, is a brash intonation emblematic of the sparkle of swing. Alicia Keys If I Ain't Got You and James Blunt's You're Beautiful are phenomenal renditions of the modern love song. While the album hits some flat notes, notably among them is Bread's If with it's cheesy Moog and somewhat annoying chimes, taken as a whole, it will probably be one of the most successful compendiums of Kenny G's work to date.

(The edited article appeared in the Dayton City Paper Vol.4/No.68/July 18, 2007. This is the original article as I wrote it.)