Kenny G
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| Kenny G | ||
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 Kenny G circa 2003
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Kenneth Gorelick | |
| Also known as | Kenny G | |
| Born | June 5, 1956 (age 50) | |
| Origin |  Seattle, Washington, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Smooth jazz Adult contemporary |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician Songwriter |
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| Instrument(s) | Saxophone Flute |
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| Years active | 1982 – present | |
| Label(s) | Arista (1982 – present) | |
| Website | www.kennyg.com | |
Kenneth Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American saxophonist whose fourth album, Duotones, brought him "breakthrough success"[1] in 1986. Kenny's main instrument is the soprano saxophone, but he also plays the alto and tenor saxophone and the flute on occasion.
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Early life
Kenny was born in Seattle, Washington, and first came into contact with a saxophone when he heard someone performing with one on The Ed Sullivan Show.[1] He learned how to play by practicing along with records (mostly of Grover Washington, Jr.), trying to emulate the sounds that he was hearing.[1] At Franklin High School he failed to get into the jazz band when he applied,[2] although was accepted the following year when he tried again.[3] He also played for his high school golf team,[3] a sport which he had loved ever since his older brother, Brian Gorelick, introduced it to him when he was ten years old.[3]
Career
Kenneth Gorelick began his career as a musician when he acquired his first professional job as saxaphone soloist for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1976 at the age of 17,[4] while studying for a major in accounting at the same time.[5] After he graduated from the University of Washington he played with the funk band Cold, Bold & Together[5] before becoming a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion.[4] He began his solo career after his period with Lorber.[4]
In 1982 Kenny G signed with Arista Records as a solo artist, after being heard by the president of the label, at that time Clive Davis.[4] He has released many solo albums and collaborated with various artists including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Natalie Cole, Steve Miller (which marked the only time he appeared on a rock and roll album) and Aretha Franklin. Influenced by the likes of Grover Washington, Jr., his own albums are usually classified as smooth jazz.
He recieved success quite early on, with both G Force and Gravity, his second and third studio albums respectively, achieving platinum status in the United States. These sales were topped by his fourth studio album, Duotones, which shifted over five million copies in the U.S. alone. His fifth studio album, Breathless (album), became the number one best selling instrumental album ever, with over 15 million copies sold, of which 12 million were in the U.S. He broke another record when his first holiday album, Miracles, sold over 13 million copies, making it the most successful Christmas album to date.[5]
As of 2003, Kenny G was named the 25th-highest selling artist in America by the RIAA, with 48 million albums sold in the USA as of July 31, 2006.[6] In 1994, Kenny G won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for Forever in Love.
Personal life
Kenny G is currently married to wife Lyndie, with whom he has two children – Max (aged nine) and Noah (aged five). They have expressed an interest in saxaphone and piano respectively.[7]
He plays golf regularly, and has a playing handicap of +0.6.[2] He has participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament seven times as of February 7, 2007,[3] and Golf Digest awarded him the position of number one musician golfer in their December rankings of Top 100 in Music.[2][3]
Musical criticism
While Kenny G's entry into the smooth jazz market remains popular with the buying public, he was publicly criticized by two notable jazz guitarists. Many people criticize his bright sound on soprano saxophone and claim that he plays out of tune.[8]
Guitarist Pat Metheny's criticisms of Kenny G are especially well documented, as first printed on Metheny's own Web site forum in 2000, and archived on Jazz Oasis.com.[8] Drawing Metheny's extreme ire was Kenny G's overdubbing of a song by jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, which Metheny described as follows:
| “ | 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. | ” |
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—Pat Metheny, Interview on Jazz Oasis[8] |
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Metheny criticized G further, saying that the saxophonist had:
| “ | ...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. | ” |
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—Pat Metheny, Interview on Jazz Oasis[8] |
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English guitarist Richard Thompson seconded Metheny's thoughts by writing the song "I Agree With Pat Metheny, Kenny's Talents Are Too Teeny". Among the song's pointed lyrics are:
| “ | A meeting of great minds, how nice Like Einstein and Sporty Spice Digitally fused in an abortion Oh, Kenny fans will doubtless rave While Satchmo turns inside his grave Soprano man's bit off more than his portion. |
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—Richard Thompson, [9] |
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Discography
- Kenny G - Songbird (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Sample from Kenny G's "Songbird". From the album Duotones.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
- Kenny G - The Joy of Life (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Sample from Kenny G's "The Joy of Life". From the album Breathless.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
- Kenny G - End of The Night (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Sample from Kenny G's "End of The Night". From the album Breathless.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
Albums
Studio albums
- Kenny G (1982)
- G Force (1983)
- Gravity (1985)
- Duotones (1986)
- Silhouette (1988)
- Breathless (1992)
- The Moment (1996)
- Paradise (2002)
Holiday albums
- Miracles: The Holiday Album (1994)
- Faith: A Holiday Album (1999)
- Wishes: A Holiday Album (2001)
Live albums
- Kenny G Live (1989)
- Best (2006)
Greatest hits albums
- The Very Best of Kenny G (1994)
- Kenny G - Greatest Hits (1997)
- Ultimate Kenny G (2003)
- The Greatest Holiday Classics (2005)
- The Essential Kenny G (2006)
Compilation albums
- The Collection (1993)
- Montage (1993)
- In America (2001)
- The Romance of Kenny G (2004)
- The Holiday Collection (2006)
Cover albums
- Classics in the Key of G (1999)
- At Last...The Duets Album (2004)
- I'm in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time (2006)
EPs
- Six of Hearts (1997)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop | US Adult Contemporary | US Top 40 Mainsteam | US Rhythmic Top 40 | US Adult Top 40 | US Hot Country | US Top 40 Tracks | ||
| 1984 | "Hi, How Ya Doin'?"[10] | #23 | |||||||
| 1985 | "Love on the Rise"[11] | #24 | |||||||
| 1986 | "Don't Make Me Wait for Love"[12] | #15 | #17 | #2 | |||||
| 1986 | "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)"[12] | #15 | |||||||
| 1987 | "Songbird"[12] | #4 | #23 | #3 | |||||
| 1988 | "Silhouette"[13] | #13 | #35 | #2 | |||||
| 1989 | "Against Doctor's Orders"[13] | #65 | |||||||
| 1989 | "We've Saved the Best for Last"[13] | #47 | #18 | #4 | |||||
| 1989 | "Going Home"[14] | #56 | #46 | #5 | |||||
| 1992 | "Forever in Love"[15] | #18 | #73 | #1 | #18 | #33 | |||
| 1993 | "By the Time This Night is Over"[15] | #25 | #37 | #1 | #29 | ||||
| 1993 | "Sentimental"[15] | #72 | #27 | ||||||
| 1994 | "Even if My Heart Would Break"[15] | #28 | |||||||
| 1995 | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"[16] | #26 | |||||||
| 1996 | "The Moment"[17] | #63 | #62 | #16 | |||||
| 1997 | "Havana"[17] | #66 | |||||||
| 1999 | "What a Wonderful World"[18] | #22 | |||||||
| 1999 | "Auld Lang Syne"[19] | #7 | #57 | #3 | #40 | #15 | #49 | #30 | |
| 2002 | "One More Time"[20] | #19 | |||||||
| 2002 | "Deck the Halls/The Twelve Days of Christmas"[21] | #26 | |||||||
| 2003 | "Auld Lang Syne [Freedom Mix]"[21] | #98 | |||||||
| 2005 | "I Believe I Can Fly"[22] | #28 | |||||||
| 2005 | "The Way You Move"[22] | #12 | |||||||
| 2005 | "My Favorite Things"[23] | #22 | |||||||
| 2005 | "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"[23] | #15 | |||||||
| 2006 | "Jingle Bell Rock"[23] | #35 | |||||||
Videography
- "Forever in Love"
- "Going Home"
- "One More Time" ft. Beth
- "Sade" (live)
- "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" ft. Leehom Wang
See also
References
- ^ a b c Kenny G Is Still the Smooth Jazz King. Barnes & Noble.com (October, 2002). Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c Diaz, Jaime (December, 2006). After selling millions of records, Grammy winner Kenny G wants to conquer golf. GolfDigest.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Kroichick, Ron. "Kenny G can swing with the best of them", Scripps News, ScrippsNews.com, February 7, 2007. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott. Kenny G Biography. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c Zimmerman, Kevin (September 30, 2002). Kenny G Has Time on his Side. BMI.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ Top Artists. RIAA.com (July 31, 2006). Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ Mr. G Sounds Off. LHJ.com (May, 2003). Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Pat Metheny on Kenny G. JazzOasis.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ Tillman, Don (March 7, 2005). I Agree with Richard Thompson. Till.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ G Force - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Gravity - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c Duotones - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c Silhouette - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Kenny G Live - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Breathless - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Miracles: The Holiday Album - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b The Moment - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Classics in the Key of G - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Faith: A Holiday Album - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ Paradise - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b Wishes: A Holiday Album - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b At Last...The Duets Album - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c The Greatest Holiday Classics - Billboard Singles. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
External links
- Kenny G's official website
- Kenny G at VH1.com
- Kenny G at All Music Guide
- Kenny G at the Internet Movie Database
Categories: Semi-protected | 1956 births | Living people | American dance musicians | American saxophonists | Arista Records artists | Grammy Award winners | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Jazz alto saxophonists | Jazz soprano saxophonists | Jazz tenor saxophonists | Jewish American musicians | People from Seattle | Smooth jazz | University of Washington alumni | Washington musicians
