Klarinet Archive - Posting 000335.txt from 2000/06

From: "Dodgshun family" <dodgshun@-----.nz>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pat Metheny interview regarding Kenny G.
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 01:56:06 -0400

> I am sure that there is much frustration as he indicates. It is like when
> the TV networks promote some cheesy program as a "major cultural event for
> our time". Who are they kidding? Kenny G may serve a niche and people have
> the right to buy or like him. But remember, just because McDonalds serves
> billions and billions does not make it high quality cuisine.

I'm getting a feeling of deja vu here....searching through my outbox I find
a message I wrote back in January on the topic of Kenny G, which lists the
reasons I don't like his music. I do own one of his albums (sure, I bought
it in a rash moment and very rarely listen to it) and have decided that I
wouldn't ever buy another! I'd be interested to see how many people agree
with me on what I've said, so here it is again....
- Lack of depth/complexity/meaning/whatever in his music
- It's too commercialised for me. I know the guy has to make a living, like
the rest of us, but......
- For me, his tone doesn't have enough presence. It doesn't grab you by the
throat and say "listen to me!" I like to listen to a sound that will do
this. I appreciate that this is harder to do on soprano sax, but on one of
the tracks on whichever album it is I have (I can't be bothered going to
find it to see which it is), he plays tenor, and it sounds exactly the same
as his soprano. This says to me that it's not just the instrument which
doesn't give the presence, but the player. One that comes to mind for the
amount of presence in the sound is the bari sax player Ronnie Cuber, or the
guy that plays tenor and bari saxes for Pink Floyd on the "PULSE" album
(name??) - no, there's no bias towards baritone sax here! Sure, Kenny G's
quality may be beautiful, but it's too easy to switch off mentally.
- It's all the same!

I am a jazz freak - I played bari sax in a big band for three and a half
fantastic years, and I miss it tremendously - and I think this has something
to do with not liking Kenny G's music. Labelling it "jazz" is like, ummm,
OK, can't think of a suitable example, but you all know what I mean,
hopefully! I guess calling it jazz is like putting Britney Spears or
Boyzone in the same category as Pink Floyd or Dire Straits! Pat Metheny's
interview was perhaps a little too outspoken, but I can understand where he
is coming from.

Just as an aside, I'm possibly/probably playing the bari sax part for "An
American in Paris" in July - what's the part like? Anybody got any advice
which they think I might need? (yay, back to my baritone! I sometimes
think that at heart I'm a bari player and not a clarinettist at
all......yes, I know, sacrelige!)

Anna

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