Klarinet Archive - Posting 001066.txt from 1998/04

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: Eddie D. and Kenny G.
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 11:19:23 -0400

Boy oh boy am I going to get flamed.

I went to school w/ Kenny Gorelick = the University of Washington here
in Seattle. He was an accounting major. In addition, he was one
screamin' outstanding saxophone player. I've watched him in clubs prior
to his fusion thing, and witnessed him firsthand blowing Gary Foster
completely away at a big band festival our senior year. Kenny has as
much chops as anyone, ever--he has chosen to use them in an economically
efficient manner, perhaps, but believe me he plays better than you do.
(And unlike Mr. Daniels, he is always congenial and a joy to work with).

Kenny, being a smart lad, realized that there are about a million sax
players in the U.S., and probably about 10,000 with serious jazz chops
who live in or near poverty. Kenny aspired to other things--like food
and shelter for his family. He is now a wealthy man, having sold
millions of CDs to people who wanted to buy his music.

I often recommend Kenny G to my young sax students. They get excited
about the instrument hearing him--and they ought to. Aside from his
annoying play-to-the-side effect (which, incidentally, is a dental thing
and not an affectation), his technique, intonation and control of the
instrument's tone quality are without parallel. Once hooked, I pull out
the Cannonball and Phil Woods and off you go.

People often deride some performers simply because they are popular;
that they are "entertainers" and not "artists." Too bad. This was
thrown--quite a bit--at Louis Armstrong when he was alive. Too bad that
his remarkable abilities are only now being appreciated.

kjf

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Jason Hsien" <jasonavhs@-----.com>
Subject: Re: re:Eddie D.
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:49:17 -0700

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>

|At 09:03 AM 4/15/98 EDT, you wrote:
|>
|>In a message dated 4/14/98 7:38:48 PM, you wrote:
|>
|><<Sort of the Kenny G. of the clarinet?>>
|>
|>Is that supposed to be a COMPLIMENT?!?
|>
|Not unless you LIKE the fact that you can buy just one of his albums
and
|listen to it over and over, PRETENDING it is a different one each time.
:-)

Someone's the Kenny G of the Clarinet? Well... I _SUPPOSE_ if whoever
wrote
that _LIKED_ Kenny G music and also _LIKED_ whoever this "Kenny G of the
clarinet", then it is a compliment... (This'd better not be about
Benny.)

-Jason

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