...more of a review of Kenny G and Tammy La Gorce... - I m not sure which is more of a crime: Kenny G s successful career in music, or Tammy La Gorce s review of this album. The word genius has really come to be thrown around more and more in recent history than I can stand. It seems to be misused particularly when people who have either zero or minimal understanding of the arts are speaking of the arts. For Tammy La Gorce to call virtually any album she reviews genius is just blatantly uninformed and unintelligent (particularly in Kenny G s case).In the even that one is unaware of the jazz community s utter hatred for Kenny G, he or she should search the Internet for Pat Metheny s highly-praised (and thorough) article on why Kenny G is utter blasphemy to music. Another option would be talk to students and/or professors from some of the country s leading schools for saxophone performance (including Northwestern University, Indiana University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Minnesota, Louisiana State University, and the Eastman School of Music). They will all tell you the same thing: Kenny G has a very elementary understanding of jazz, which is demonstrated through his immature phrasing, sound quality, improvisational skills, vibrato, and ability to play in-tune. He has managed to become a household name simply because most people in this country are uninformed when it comes to musical artistry. In an ideal world only the people would know better, and Kenny G wouldn t even be capable of getting a record deal. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and there are many jazz artists in the world who are far more developed, far more musically educated, and, in short, far more deserving of the fame and fortune Kenny G has acquired. Some of these people end up having to quit music (which, at one point, was the absolute center of their entire being) and taking on jobs they despise just to prevent because they respect the performing arts, their previous mentors, and their predecessors too much to sell out like Kenny G.As if La Gorce s completely idiotic praising of this album weren t enough, she put the nail in her credibility coffin by finishing off her review stating that, based on her preference for Chaka Khan s interpretation of Beautiful, Khan should have been the original artist behind the song. If she and Christina Aguilera both find it to be a moving song they believe in, both of them have the right to perform it. Besides, Linda Perry (not Tammy La Gorce) is the one who wrote the song, and she gladly allowed Aguilera to use it and interpret it for her album. Perhaps La Gorce is to be trusted as a music critic even less than Kenny G is to be trusted as a true musician--and that s saying something.
Wow - When I purchased this CD I really was only interested in one song, I Believe I Could Fly. Now I cannot seem to stop listening to it.
Nice change - You know it s sad when someone has to put down another person just to make them feel bigger. I found this album was a fresh change to doing cover songs - face it, everyone in the industry is doing covers, but I really liked the different feel to them. There are some not so great Duet albums out there, unfortunately I have even bought a few, but I feel this one is a good buy...
Kenny G- Duets - Kenny G is excellent in this duets CD. Him along with other greats make for very enjoyable listening.
Kenny G is a horrible saxophonist - Please noone buy this cd. It is a waste of your time, and the fact that so many people buy this cd goes along with how humans are getting more idiotic as we destroy the planet and continue to rise conflicts in other countries that could amount to a bigger picture. Kenny G is a horrible saxophonist, and all he plays are simplistic lines that people can wrap their heads around easily. If you want to listen to a great saxophonist, listen to Kenny Garret. Or Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Joshua Redman, Wayne Shorter. If you like smooth jazz, Gerald Albright is an excellent saxophonist to listen to.