Kenny G
Kenneth Gorelick (born
June 5 1956), better known by his
stage name Kenny G, is an
American saxophonist whose fourth album
Duotones brought him to fame in
1986. Kenny's main instrument is the
soprano saxophone, but he also plays the
alto and
tenor sax on occasion. Kenny G also became famous for his colourful remake of the Louis Armstrong hit "Blue motion"
Kenny was born in
Seattle,
Washington. His mother rented him his first saxophone, and he learned how to play staying home and practicing along with records (mostly of Grover Washington Jr.) trying to emulate the sounds that he was hearing. At Franklin High School (where he also lettered in golf) he played in the school band. Kenny's high school band director eventually got him his first professional job as sex soloist for a Barry White show
Barry White's
Love Unlimited Orchestra in , when he adopted the moniker "Kenny G."
In 1981 Kenny G signed with
Arista Records as a solo artist. He has released many solo albums and collaborated with various artists including
Whitney Houston,
Toni Braxton,
Natalie Cole and Aretha Franklin. Influenced by the likes of
Grover Washington, Jr., his own albums are usually classified as
smooth jazz, though there are many in the music community who categorize his albums more as
adult contemporary.
His entry into the
smooth jazz market remains popular with the American buying public, although he has come under much fire from music critics and jazz devotées.
As of 2003, Kenny G was named the 25th-highest selling artist in America by the
RIAA, with 47.5 million albums sold in the USA [
1].In 1994, Kenny G won the
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for
Forever in Love.
In 1997, Kenny G earned a place in the
Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. Kenny G held an E Flat for forty five minutes, forty seven seconds, a record he still officially holds. However, in 1998, a sax player by the name of
Geovanny Escalante from
Costa Rica claimed that he held an E Flat for ninety minutes, forty five seconds. This attempt is considered unofficial, as the
Guinness Book of World Records judges were not present at the event, which is required for an official entry in the book. [
2] [
3]
Though he claims not to be a jazz musician, Kenny G has been criticized by some jazz players for what they regard as pedestrian, soulless playing. For example,
Pat Metheny was harshly critical when G
overdubbed his saxophone onto a
Louis Armstrong recording for his jazz standards album
Classics In The Key Of G. [
4]. Metheny wrote that Kenny G, "through his unbelievably pretentious and calloused musical decision to embark on this most cynical of musical paths, shit 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."
Richard Thompson also weighed in on the controversy with a song called "I Agree with Pat Metheny", in which he sang "a meeting of great minds, how nice / like
Einstein and
Sporty Spice."
Frequent criticisms of Kenny G as a "sell-out" often invoke comparisons to other controversial figures in the fine arts, most notably
Thomas Kinkade.
In an episode of
The Simpsons Gorelick is ridiculed as the character
Krusty The Clown asks his assistant to arrange for "Kenny G to play in my elevator".
*Kenny G is a very keen golfer and plays
golf every day. He has a
handicap of 1.
*Kenny G has his pilot's license (type unknown), and flies around a DeHavilland Beaver (DHC2) on floats.
*
The Essential Kenny G Released
2006*
The Greatest Holiday Classics Released
2005*
At Last...The Duets Album Released
2004*
Ultimate Kenny G Released
2003*
Wishes: A Holiday Album Released
2002*
Paradise Released
2002*
Faith: A Holiday Album Released
1999*
Classics In The Key Of G Released
1999*
The Moment Released
1996*
The Very Best of Kenny G. Released
1994*
Miracles: The Holiday Album Released 1994
*
Montage Released
1993*
The Collection Released 1993
*
Breathless Released
1992*
Kenny G Live Released
1989*
Silhouette Released
1988*
Duotones Released
1986*
Gravity Released
1985*
G Force Released
1983*
Kenny G Released
1982*
Best selling music artists*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)*
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart*
Kenny G on VH1.com**includes
full discography*
Kenny G biography from Rolling Stone*
Kenny G at the
Internet Movie Database* http://kennyg.com [Kenny G Official Website]
