Why do people despise Kenny G?

[RedCharles]

I'm listening to his new album, New Standards, and it's pretty good. But it seems like a lot of people hate him. Does anyone have a cogent explanation for why some people strongly dislike Kenny G and his music?

 

[lovinthehd]

The music itself tends to be too bland for my tastes, sort of like elevator music.....but I wouldn't say I despise him, he seems an okay guy and technically competent (and liked his sense of humor during his appearance in A Bad Mom's Christmas). He's never enticed me to buy a recording at all, took a brief listen to this one to see if its any different....nope, seems more of the same.

 

[ryanosaur]

I'll play.
I'm a saxophonist; both Classically and Jazz trained.
He is a very good technician. He has a good tone.

Yet I cannot abide listening to him... and really any "soft" Jazz any longer. (Back in my junior high and early high school years when I was still learning, I used to listen to him, Sanborn, Spyro Gyra...) There is a significant difference in a musician that excells at just making good Pop bubblegum and playing chromatics, circular breathing and whatever other tricks vs a real artist capable of telling a story and making you think.
Perhaps comparing Mozart to Shostakovich might make sense? Or how about comparing a Keene painting to Picasso, Klee, or Klimt?
But as I learned more, it was Bop musicians and those that followed that opened my eyes. I'd take Dexter and Trane, Miles... so many others... any day over the bubblegum pop artists.
There is meaning in their music, in their improvisation.

Kenny G, perhaps unfortunately, is just another Yanni. And he's laughing all the way to the bank, too.

*shrugs

 

[Alex2507]

Yanni.

Totally under rated.

Does anyone have a cogent explanation for why some people strongly dislike Kenny G and his music?

First of all I hate jazz but ... I'd rather listen to nothing than Kenny G. Even the name ... what a suckwad.

 

[Pogre]

I don't even know the guy!

 

[Replicant 7]

Hey, Yanni, the pianist? Him?

 

[Replicant 7]

Totally under rated.





First of all I hate jazz but ... I'd rather listen to nothing than Kenny G. Even the name ... what a suckwad.

Yeah, saxophone has to be my least favorite instrument what an annoying sound it makes, like a train horn. I believe, opal sounds better. washboarding now that's an instrument that takes a lot of skill to play, life time of training, without the right spoons it sounds like crap.

 

[3db]

Mozart packed more music into one line than Shostakovich did in an entire symphony.

Kenny G's music lacks soul, feeling, just like elevator music. Its meant to be calming but lifeless music irritates the f?ck out of me.

 

[3db]

Yeah, saxophone has to be my least favorite instrument what an annoying sound it makes, like a train horn. I believe, opal sounds better. washboarding now that's an instrument that takes a lot of skill to play, life time of training, without the right spoons it sounds like crap.

Oh I dunno... It sounds pretty awesome here..

and here

 

[Replicant 7]

Oh I dunno... It sounds pretty awesome here..

and here

It's a joke, I actually love soft jazz. The track on Vinyl,1st Blade Runner, "Love Theme" Di&k Morrissey, absolutely beautiful saxo! I bought the album specifically for that song. 180g virgin vinyl.

 

[3db]

Like Homer Simpson said as he was walking towards the school auditorium and hearing Lisa playing saxophone, "Im glad Im not that kid's father!!"

 

[ryanosaur]

Let's not forget this performance by Raf Ravenscroft:

 

[Replicant 7]

I don't even know the guy!

Yanni your talking about? He's a Greek composer. He had a LPB special back in the umm 90's if I remember right.

 

[Replicant 7]

Let's not forget this performance by Raf Ravenscroft:

Man! Thanks for posting that! One of the best ever from the 70's!!

 

[Mr._Clark]

I’ll bite. I’ve seen Kenny G live. He’s a very good musician but only so-so in terms of composing music. My theory is that it annoys some people that he’s been commercially successful with that combination. It doesn’t bother me. It’s okay for what it is.

My personal favorite is Charley Parker. He had raw talent. It was as if he willed new (at that time) music into existence. Just my opinion of course.

 

[killdozzer]

Has anyone already said it's because people have taste?

(I'm just teasing, I love and listen to a heap of shitty music and am not ashamed to say so)

Kenny G

Get it? Both flat and minor.

 

[killdozzer]

It's a joke, I actually love soft jazz. The track on the Vinyl,1st Blade Runner, "Love Theme" Di&k Morrissey, absolutely beautiful saxo! I bought the album specifically for that song. 180g virgin vinyl.
View attachment 52211

You should hear it on a CD!

 

[highfigh]

I'll play.
I'm a saxophonist; both Classically and Jazz trained.
He is a very good technician. He has a good tone.

Yet I cannot abide listening to him... and really any "soft" Jazz any longer. (Back in my junior high and early high school years when I was still learning, I used to listen to him, Sanborn, Spyro Gyra...) There is a significant difference in a musician that excells at just making good Pop bubblegum and playing chromatics, circular breathing and whatever other tricks vs a real artist capable of telling a story and making you think.
Perhaps comparing Mozart to Shostakovich might make sense? Or how about comparing a Keene painting to Picasso, Klee, or Klimt?
But as I learned more, it was Bop musicians and those that followed that opened my eyes. I'd take Dexter and Trane, Miles... so many others... any day over the bubblegum pop artists.
There is meaning in their music, in their improvisation.

Kenny G, perhaps unfortunately, is just another Yanni. And he's laughing all the way to the bank, too.

*shrugs

If you hate him, what is your opinion of a lot of the stuff that's popular now- some songs are lucky if they have a pitch range of five notes. Bores the shyte out of me. Nothing interesting melodically, harmonically or rhythmically and nonsense 'lyrics'. I have preferred instrumental music for decades and really got into Jazz when I was working at a music store- some of the teachers & students were very good and then, I took a Jazz History class at UW-Milwaukee and the instructor was a wealth of knowledge- he was really there to develop the Jazz Major program but his past experience and contacts enabled him to bring people like Nat Adderley to the school for performances (which I attended). He eventually moved on to teach at other colleges in a similar capacity- since the classroom had a piano, he would demonstrate the styles of others and when I say 'demonstrate', I mean 'play exactly the way they would play'. He also told us about a club where he and other great musicians from the area, musical faculty and others, would play. I REALLY miss that club and that time- many of the musicians have moved on and others have passed on, but they had a tremendous impact on music in this city.

I was listening to XM when I still subscribed and they had a show called 'Beyond Jazz'- it was one of the few stations I listened to and before they decided to gouge my eyes out with their rate increase, it was almost worth the cost, by itself. They would announce who was playing in various parts of the country and where- one band was p[aying in Washington DC and they were called 'The Dead Kenny Gs' (paraphrasing the Punk band 'The Dead Kennedys').

I listened to Smooth Jazz for a while, until it became worse than Muzak. Music doesn't need to be so complex that it goes over the heads of most people but with each generation, interest in music that's actually interesting on its own fades away except for people who somehow become interested, maybe through their parents or other acquaintances who might be musicians. I know some younger musicians who fall into this category and some of them are great. I also know a Trumpeter who teaches at the Frost School of Music (Florida) and in NYC, as well as being a two-time Grammy winner- one for his work with Eddie Palmieri and another for his own 'large group;. He kills in any style he plays and he KNEW what he wanted to do at a young age. He has some videos on YouTube, playing some serious Bop, as well as some instructional videos.

 

[highfigh]

Hey, Yanni, the pianist? Him?

My cousin calls him 'Yawni'.

 

[highfigh]

Like Homer Simpson said as he was walking towards the school auditorium and hearing Lisa playing saxophone, "Im glad Im not that kid's father!!"

Or, when he flattened her sax and went to a music store to buy a replacement, mispronouncing the names of some instruments- "Saxomophone, Trombomabone, etc".

Ah, good ol' Bleeding Gums Murphy.