Talk:Kenny G

Personal Life

Kenny G's wife Lyndie Benson-Gorlick filed for legal separation on 19th January 2012 citing "irreconcilable differences" in L.A. County Superior Court. http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/19/kenny-g-wife-legal-separation-divorce/?adid=hero3

Boring Turd Commentary

Whatever mature adult decided to vandalize this page and repeatedly call Kenny G a "boring turd" should get off Wikipedia and expend a little more effort on getting his kindergarten GED. I'm not entitled to fix this vandalism, as some large chunks of information that I can't fill in seem to have been cut out (I don't know too much about Kenny G), so if anyone would like to restore Kenny G to his former glory, go right ahead. 62 Misfit (talk) 16:20, 9 May 2009 (UTC) The man is a great musician not a great jazz musician, but he is an important part of the genre in question like it or not. Jazz music is heard today more than ever because of Kenny G, an that is a fact that even if you don't like him, you have to agree with. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Soundlib (talk • contribs) 20:03, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Birthdate

I found various dates quoted for his date of birth. I added him to July 6 before I realised the confusion. He's listed as being born on June 6 on 1956 in music (and some online sources), and I saw another couple of dates quoted elsewhere. Does anyone have a reliable source? fabiform | talk 19:43, 9 May 2004 (UTC)

Logic dictates june 6th - making his birthdate a very appropriate 6/6/56 :) I'm guessing his place of birth was actually Megiddo -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 02:41, 28 May 2004 (UTC)

Most wanted articles

I must say that while I'm not a fan of Kenny G, it shocks me that we didn't have an article on him until so recently. Kudos to fabiform for filling the gap. Oh, and I have no idea when he was born. Isomorphic 05:21, 17 May 2004 (UTC)

I found him languishing on Wikipedia:Most wanted articles, which is quite a nicely random selection of articles to work on if you're in need of inspiration. :) fabiform | talk 16:32, 17 May 2004 (UTC)

There should be an article on the new album, Rhythm and Romance. I haven't heard the album yet, so I won't write it. Kenny G pitched the new album on HSN the other day. It's on Concord Jazz after he left Arista after 25 years, so I put that down.Sposato (talk) 21:01, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

Did he really invent the sax like it says in the article? Seems hard to believe! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.107.59.237 (talk) 21:19, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

In the absence of any response so far (6 years 10 months is a long time), I'm led to answer that difficult question. Ready? Here goes, and hold on to your horses!

The answer is in the negatory.

2600:1700:EA01:1090:5892:B30E:6D4E:2005 (talk) 02:27, 1 December 2018 (UTC)

Which saxophone?

His bio doesn't say which saxophone he plays???

Though I can't garuntee that this is all he plays on his albums, but he is mostly seen (I've only seen) playing a soprano sax. The photo of him on the article is of him holding an soprano sax. La Pizza11 01:50, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

On some songs, he also plays alto and tenor. Andros 1337 16:22, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Kenny G started on alto saxophone, and his main instrument is the soprano saxophone, which he has played almost exclusively for the past decade, with the exception of the occasional tenor sax track on his albums. He plays tenor sax at his concerts which you can see clips of on YouTube to provide some contrast, because he tends to play more upbeat songs on tenor and flash his chops in the high harmonics there, whereas most of his work includes using the circular breathing technique to endlessly play runs on his soprano sax over soft, slower melodies. However, he usually begins his concerts with "Home," a song from his 1988 album Silhouette, which is performed on alto sax.

Kenny has been playing a Selmer Mark VI soprano sax (as well as same brand and model for tenor and alto sax) for literally decades--you can even see the lacquer deterioration on his soprano sax on the cover of his albums from even 20 years ago. Selmer is based in Paris, not far from the town of Belgium where inventor Adolph Sax (a clarinetist whose dad invented & repaired brass instruments called saxhorns) was from. Selmer made the Mark VI model from the 1950s-1970s, and they are deemed to be the "Stradivari" of saxophones. If you can legitimately buy one from eBay, it will easily run $5,000.

Kenny G, in his earlier albums from the 1980s, would play the Lyricon wind synthesizer--a digital wind controller that could be connected to a mini-Moog synthesizer and played like a saxophone. Kenny G also sponsored the Casio DH-100 (digital MIDI horn), and can be heard playing both flute and alto flute on his first album released by Arista Records in 1982.

Kenny G has been known to use La Voz brand reeds in the 80s, but since the 90s, has used a Bobby Dukoff metal mouthpiece for his soprano sax, size/model D8, uses a Rovner 1M leather ligature, and Frederick L. Hemke brand reeds (available from the Rico website), size 2 1/2.

For those of you that don't know, obviously there exists a whole family of saxophones, and the soprano sax is rarely used in school bands (seldom if ever appears in any symphonic, marching or concert band as no sheet music is typically written for this instrument); however, it frequently appears in jazz and pep bands. It can be straight like a clarinet or curved like other saxophones (either way it does not affect the sound). Famous saxophonist and friend of Kenny G is Dave Koz, who plays many saxophones including a curved soprano sax. All saxophones are either in the key of B-flat or E-flat. In the case of Kenny G, both a soprano sax and a tenor sax are B-flat instruments, so they can read the same music as a trumpet or clarinet. The tenor sax is exactly twice the size of a soprano sax, and because all saxophones share the same fingering system (which is based on physics, by the way--that's why if you learn how to play recorder in elementary school the fingering is very similar to that of any flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and clarinet), playing a note on soprano sax is the exact same fingering and note on a tenor sax but one octave higher (i.e. middle C on a soprano sax is fingered with just the middle finger on the left hand pearl-key but sounds like high-C on a tenor sax--played the same way but with the octave key pressed with the left thumb). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.174.178.126 (talk) 21:45, 4 August 2010 (UTC)

The clarinet isn't the same fingering as the saxophone. It overblows at the 12th, not the octave. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.232.123.178 (talk) 05:44, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

Genre dispute

By definition, Kenny G is a smooth jazz saxophonist, not a pop saxophonist. His music sounds nothing like pop music (i.e. Britney Spears). You will NEVER find Kenny G in the pop section of a music store, he will always be found in the jazz section. His main influence was Grover Washington Jr. I am not going to get into the argument whether smooth jazz is a valid jazz genre or not, but to remain neutral, he should be classed as smooth jazz. Andros 1337 21:52, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

very true, he is the exact opposite of pop music, people like usher, and the backstreet boys are pop, kenny g is jazz. the sax is a dead give away

Give me a break. Kenny G never improvises at all in his performances. His pieces are all arranged in advance, sax as well as orchestra, note for note. The essence of jazz is original composition inspired by a melody, usually a "standard," or popular song of some kind. Regardless of where record-store clerks happen to place his recordings, Kenny has never been a jazz performer at all. While some jazz performers, such as Ella Fitzgerald, have indeed made some--even many--pop recordings, they have also made many jazz recordings. The difference is in whether they improvise or not. Sinatra, for example, a consummate musician, has never made a jazz recording. It is not a question of greater, but of different.66.108.145.155 01:19, 13 April 2006 (UTC) Allen Roth

THE SAX IS A DEAD GIVE AWAY??? How ignorant are you? Sax is used not only in jazz, but classical, POP, rock, R&B and avante-garde. Jimi Hendrix improvises, does that make him a jazz musician? I agree with the adult contemporary genre but I strongly disagree that Kenny's music is jazz.

• Pop simply means "popular". "Pop" music isn't an established genre, like Jazz. Any music can fall into that category. Anybody who doesn't think Mr. G is pop music should be shot.

THANKYOU! Fantastic comment you are great.

I would agree with the thought that Kenny G is not a jazz musician, for several reasons. One, as mentioned above, he does not improvise. While improvising is not limited to jazz, it is still an essential part of jazz. No improv, no jazz. Number two, in Kenny G's music, there is absolutely no musical reference to any traditional jazz arrangements, such as chord changes, melodic arrangements (i.e. AABA form), swing notes, and especially the blues. Although there are certainly wonderful pieces of jazz that are missing some of these elements, if a piece of music contains none of them, it ought to be disqualified as jazz. It also does not help that so much of Kenny G's music is synthesized. However, while his music is certainly not jazz, a mention should be put in the article of his prodigious talent in handling fast music.63.43.18.139 02:42, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that's quite accurate. A good deal of jazz is arranged, there is even Category:Jazz music arrangers. Although usually arranged jazz basically means big band not solo work. The other point you make I would have to agree with, in that very little of his music seems to be based in any jazz tradition not even smooth jazz. It rarely "sounds like" jazz of any kind. (Although he's had a few songs I think are jazz, most being when he started out) I don't think I'm being a purist because Candy Dulfer and David Sanborn "sound" more jazzy to me. Granted I'm not trained in music so I can't explain what I mean by that. That said I don't think he's pop either. He usually sounds more like "Easy Listening" or "New Age" and those are the sections where I've seen him. Not that I ever bought any of his stuff, but I'll admit he had a few songs back in the early 90s I liked pretty well.--T. Anthony 11:00, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Most mainstream jazz musicians do not consider Kenny G's genre to be jazz. There was an interview of Pat Metheny several years ago where he was very adamant that Kenny G's music not jazz. Kenny G is just like many artists who are chosen by the music industry to force on the public. His music is very cookie-cutter and packaged just like many "pop" artists. The public is inundated with these so-called artists on a daily basis on the air waves and in advertisement. People who are exploring jazz for the first time are sometimes lead down the path that the Kenny G's music is actually jazz. Many times because the music stores whether it's Tower Records, Circuit City or Best Buy place his music under jazz. All of the smooth jazz stations owned by Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial jam Kenny G down the public's throat.

Silick\\ Whatever music means to you is subject to your intepretation of it, music alone is what is appreciated and the fact is that Kenny G is a very good musician who plays soulful melodies (my opinion) and arguing whether or not his music is strictly "jazz" in the traditional sense is irrelevant as music is constantly changing and the diversity it brings ought to be accepeted and even embraced. And to the subject to those musicians who are in the mainstream jazz are confining their creative flair by imposing limits on their music and others' by stating it must lie within a particular genre/chord progression/rhytmn. Music matters as expression, that is indeed if it comes from the heart and beyond that it as appreciation of the listner to identify/intepret the music and not judge it relative to musical classes that we force upon. Music simply is music.

FYI, I added a link to the article for the full text of Metheny's last comments on the jazz or not debate, Metheny changed his mind, sort of, while ripping Kenny a new one the size of a musical Grand Canyon. Tvccs 08:06, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

The fact that Kenny G categorizes his music as jazz is in itself an invitation for all jazz musicians and listeners to make the comparison between what jazz is now established to be and what Mr. G plays. Anyone who does this however quickly realizes how wrong he is. Kenny G's music is not jazz as established jazz musicians see it. Firstly, his music contains very little improvisation, which is a fundamental characteristic of jazz. He also frequently employs harmony which is characteristic of pop music, and rarely uses jazz associated harmony. He simply uses the saxophone as a tool for melody playing, just in the same way that this is often done on pop records. Many people who are ignorant to this do not realize the differences between this music and jazz and therefore believe what Kenny G says, incorrectly categorizing the music as jazz. For this reason there should be a paragraph about genre dispute and musical criticism, even if only to comment on the aforementioned contradiction and to let people know about this widespread misunderstanding.

The correct classification of Kenny G's music is smooth jazz, in my opinion. Whether smooth jazz is real jazz or not is a valid and active debate, but it's really not material to this, I don't think. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Elmorell (talk • contribs) 02:25, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

For those who think he isn't a pop saxophonist, let me say this. A lot of his harmonies are not traditional jazz harmonies, and much of his improvisation is ornamentation, something most pop singers do to. So what would an instrumental pop band with a saxophonist as the main instrument sound like? I don't think it would sound different. And yes, his music is very much like most pop musicians, and much less like many of the smooth jazz bands that started smooth jazz. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.232.123.178 (talk) 05:38, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

I can't find the link to Pat Metheny's comments about Kenny G. Is it still in the article? If not, why not? John Link (talk) 00:45, 18 March 2012 (UTC)

See Ben Ratliff ref. --Bob K31416 (talk) 18:44, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

In the face of the arguments back and forth, here is something to chew on. Whatever other genre his music might be thought to fall into, Kenny G is a determined player of Elevator Music, which goes some way to explain the popularity of escalators. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1700:EA01:1090:5892:B30E:6D4E:2005 (talk) 02:32, 1 December 2018 (UTC)

Clean Up

Please, especially discog.

DRUMMERS NAME?????

I need some help please in locating the drummers name in the band of Kenny G's first album Kenny G, I believe the last name is Alexander, but not sure if anyone can help me with this it would be greatly appreciated..email to iveri_ma@yahoo.com, thanks so much....

Cheap-ass drum machine. you're welcome. -matrick —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.18.137.95 (talk) 21:53, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Legitimacy

I think that the general jazz community would NOT consider Kenny G to be a jazz saxiphonist. Aside from a vast majority of jazz lovers (myself included) who think he is terrible, there are realistic aspects of his music (and I haven't heard all of it, so bear in mind I speak for a few tracks that I have listened, and the words of others) that allow him to NOT be placed in the realm of jazz.

--Gautam3 07:00, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

This page already has a lot of debate on the subject, and I added some detail with support on disdain for Kenny G in various forums to the article. However, much as I hate to, I'm deferring to Metheny here, who I thought addressed the issue well in his 2000 comments linked here. He explained why he went from the "not jazz" to "okay, most people think he is" position pretty well. He also did a great job of articulating, from a very knowledgeable point of view, just how bad he thinks Kenny G is, jazz, or not. Tvccs 08:04, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Longest Note

Why does this article claim that the man who broke Kenny's record did so by farting?

---

I didn't see anything regarding flatulence. I even did a search of the main page. Someone can delete this entire section labeled "Longest Note" when what I am saying is verified again.

--Gautam3 02:59, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I strongly object to Kenny G being listed as a jazz musician. Is Cheez-Whiz cheese? Is Thunderbird wine? I don't advocate vandalism but if it happened on this article I wouldn't complain.

Large deletion in September?

I'm curious as to why Kenny G's whole discography, early life, criticism and see also sections were removed (and never replaced) back on the 25th September by an anonymous IP? Shouldn't these be reinstated? H4cksaw 15:29, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Musical Criticism

The original overview of the criticism paragraph was unsupported and so it was rephrased to match the critical material. The orignal was, "While Kenny G's entry into the smooth jazz market remains popular with the American buying public, he has come under fire from music critics and jazz devotées, leading him to be described as "the musician many jazz listeners love to hate." The phrase, "under fire from music critics and jazz devotees" did not match up to the actual criticism as only two jazz guitarists and the lyrics of a hip hop artist were quoted. In fact, I would suggest removing the entire paragraph because the individuals making the criticism are neither noted music critics, nor are they peers in the sense of being saxophone players. What do others think? The so called criticism from "Mos Def" in the form of a lyric from one of his songs was moved to popular culture. 24.27.200.205 23:55, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Kenny G, aka Kenny Gorlick appeared on the 1980 Lp by The Jeff Lorber Fusion "Wizard Island". He played flute, tenor and soprano sax. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.69.36.57 (talk) 02:10, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the info, but if you want it to go in the article you'll need to find a source for it I'm afraid. Cheers, -Panser Born- (talk) 08:50, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Why do people hate him? He has beautiful music. -Yancyfry

I must admit I liked him in the mid-80s to early 90s. Still I can kind of see disliking him. Although songs like Songbird are pretty a problem is that all his stuff starts kind of sounding the same after awhile. That's sort of a general criticism applied to most Easy listening or New Age musicians.--T. Anthony 20:06, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Of course most rap sounds the same. -Yancyfry

Please refrain from discussing anything other than changes to the article here. This talk page is not the place for critiquing Kenny G's work (or anyone else's, for that matter). -Panser Born- (talk) 08:56, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

Wonderful idea!! Why not leave out all criticism of Kenny G, notwithstanding the fact that he is well-known to be loathed by 99.99999999999999% of real jazz musicians on the planet. Good Christ!! Besides, if you actually wanted to make this into a Good article or higher (which I think is not possible, speaking as someone who has worked on 5 FAs and many GAs), you would be required to include extensive criticism. I do this with scientists and philosophers; I cannot imagine that no criticism of an artist can be found anywhere. Oh, the wacki Wiki!!!!!!!!!!!!!--Francesco Franco 09:08, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

What makes a "real" jazz musician? Sounds like a bunch of less successful musicians sour graping because they cannot sell as well. The entire article seems to have an undercurrent of hostility slanted towards criticizing Kenny G. For example not making the band on his first try, the emphasis on golf, the accounting major he was taking on the side, etc. Is it being implied he's not a "real" musician because he doesn't come from a musical family, doesn't devote himself entirely to his music, and didn't drop out of school to pursue this interest?

To answer the question of what makes a "real" jazz musician-there can only be one reply: If you have to ask that question, then it would behoove you to take some time and research the subject of jazz. However, it can definately be said that becoming a jazz musician has nothing to do with what family you come from, whether or not you devote your entire time to music (i.e. Branford Marsalis hates practicing, unlike his brother Wynton, who practices everyday at 4:00 a.m. for 3 hours) or whether you drop out of school to pursue the artform. There are many elements that make up a jazz muscian, but for me communicating musical ideas through improvisation, use of harmony, interpretation of melody and lyrics, and the ability to tell a story are the things that I think about concerning jazz. Try using this site as a point of reference on jazz. Of course, you cannot use it as your only source, as there are so many books on the jazz idiom. Better yet, go and get your Kenny G recordings, listen them. Then go out and purchase the "Love Supreme" or "My Favorite Things" CD's by John Coltrane. Then evaluate the differences that you hear.

I would not insist that there are no jazz players that are jealous of Kenny's sucess; that fact is neither here nor there. The point is that given the genius of a John Coltrane or a Wayne Shorter (not to mention, all the other instrumentalists who came before him), his music should not exalted as being one having any real kind musical depth or intelligenc that is usually experienced when one listens to a great jazz player or vocalist. It simply is a tool, used to entertain the massess. I would have the utmost respect for Kenny if he were to say as such. It is simular to an entertainer like a Jennifer Lopez, whose forte' is dance but calls herself a vocalist because she "sings". She may like to sing as a tool of her act, however it does not make her a vocalist in any sense of the word. 162.115.108.124 18:33, 28 September 2007 (UTC)Lisa, September 28, 2007162.115.108.124 18:33, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

By all means let's have extensive criticism of his musicianship. If his skills as a saxophonist are poor that's fair game but on the other hand if he is also a composer of his own music that deserves mention as well. Currently it says "many people" are critical of his abilities but only one source is primarily used to back the assertion.

I think the entire "What a Wonderful World" controversy deserves its own section if it's taking up half the Career section. Moreover is it really a criticism of his music? Does it belong in a Music Criticism section? Why? Also who is saying Louis Armstrong overdubbed in the performance? Armstrong was dubbed into the performance but whether it was overdubbed or not is a subjective call. Should Natalie Cole performing with her father or Celine Dion performing with Elvis arouse the same ire?

Edit: My apologies it seems overdubbing is a technical term and not as I had first interpreted it used in the sense of being overdone. But that makes me wonder even more what the gist of the complaint is. It seems essentially that the ire is there because "he trespassed on hallowed ground". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.127.91.114 (talk) 13:41, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't think an entire section for criticism is necessary. Yet, I won't argue against it. However, the paragraph that is in the career section is appropriate because his decision to use Armstrong's recording is a career move. - Steve3849 ^talk 14:23, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm glad to see the Musical Criticism back in. This is clearly significant, and NPOV requires that all significant viewpoints be represented. Dlabtot 21:25, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

The quotes in this article are fantastic. IMO a very important part of Kenny G is his campiness. In fact, all fellow musicians I've known writhe in pain when a Kenny G song comes up. Sure, it's an opinion (like "Christina Aguilera is not a talented singer"), but being such a frequently-used measuring stick of lameness is very notable. When someone compares my playing to Kenny G, I can read this article and know it was most likely an insult. NorrYtt (talk) 10:05, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

I, amongst many others, am outraged by the fact that many people who edit this page prefer not to include the section about Kenny G's musical criticism. I personally know many devoted listeners to jazz as well as a number of professional jazz musicians, all of whom offer negative criticism of Kenny G's music and emphasize the man's negligible contribution to modern improvised music (which, in the case of musicians who correctly categorize themselves as jazz, would not be described as such).

As for the first paragraph of this section, the author is quite wrong in saying that the claims in this section are not supported by reputable jazz critics. Pat Metheny alone is one of the world's most knowledgeable musicians in terms of harmony and melody - particularly in the field of jazz - and is regarded by most active jazz listeners as one of the most reputable critics out there. Therefore I believe that there are significant grounds for a paragraph under this heading to be included in the main article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.31.85.87 (talk) 13:17, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Even outside jazz musician circles, Kenny G is widely used as an example of terrible, unlistenable music in pop culture. Surely some mention of this should be made. To most Americans at least, Kenny G is known more for this than for anything else. Conical Johnson (talk) 19:45, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

You read my mind. The fact this article mentions not a word of Kenny G's suckiness and cheesyness is ridiculous, since it exactly these attributes which make Kenny G notable-- bad music and a bad hairdo. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.227.147.96 (talk) 05:37, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

To me it is not a matter of neutrality but historical record and for wikipedia to be a true historical record, I believe the criticisms section must return. These criticisms are supported by the jazz community as evidenced by the quotes from Pat Metheny and the users of this forum. If a master composer such as Mozart was reviled in his time, isn't that relevant to how people react to his music now?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.81.226.27 (talk) 02:46, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

Incredible! Not one word of criticism in the article about a musician who has received more than his fair share. Here's Pat Metheny on Kenny G: [1] and Richard Thompson in song form [2] for starters, and there's shedloads of this stuff out there. This article seriously suffers from POV as it is no doubt patrolled by Kenny G's fans who remove anything they don't like. 81.157.194.236 (talk) 11:18, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

Re "Incredible! Not one word of criticism in the article about a musician who has received more than his fair share." - Please see the following excerpt from the 5th paragraph of the section Career, which was in the article at the time of the above message as it is now.

"Kenny G's 1999 single, "What A Wonderful World" was criticized regarding the overdubbing of Louis Armstrong's classic recording. A criticism was that a revered recording by an artist such as Armstrong known especially for improvisation should not be altered and especially not by a musician such as Kenny G whose contributions to jazz were already in question."

--Bob K31416 (talk) 14:49, 3 September 2010 (UTC)

I honestly believe that there should be a section titled "Criticism" that simply outlines the very well known and very widely understood belief that Kenny G is considered a "sell out", and very poor when it comes to actual musical ability when compared against most Jazz musicians. To leave out this section is a blaring omission of valuable information, and comes across as very suspicious. There are many artists who have sections like this included, who are far less criticized than Kenny G. There is no counter argument to this, the section should be reinstated, someone put it back in please, now. Manachi (talk) 10:40, 1 June 2013 (UTC)

References

"What a Wonderful World"

I've reintroduced a paragraph regarding this part of music history. It has plenty of useable references and I've also tried to keep it neutral. The topic was quite inflamed at the time and you'll see some of the references are more recent. The debate wasn't forgotten as the track was re-released. It is both a noteworthy moment of his career and noteworthy of modern recorded music in general. - Steve3849 ^talk 09:23, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

I have cut down the overlarge quote by Pat Metheny. If people want to read the whole profanity-laced thing they have only to click the reference. The first couple sentences get the point across. Diagonalfish (talk) 19:21, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

"Mario Music?"

Is it true that he wrote the Mario music? Can we add more on that? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nickmanning214 (talk • contribs) 17:28, 11 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm not quite sure what Mario music you're speaking of. I personally have never heard of Kenny G having anything to do with music for video games. Most of the Mario 64 soundtrack was written by Koji Kondo. I'm sure you can find the directors of the other tracks on here somewhere. Still, I don't think he's anything to do with Mario. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.15.197.87 (talk) 04:17, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Vandalism?

"Kenny G. Blows" as a reference to the Guinness Book of Records thing, which sounds pretty impossible... vandalism? -- Y not? 04:25, 23 March 2009 (UTC)

Actually the article title is Kenny G Blows, check out the reference. Nil Einne (talk) 16:53, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Kids age

Would be nice to fix the birthdate of the kids instead of age whatever, which happens to change annually. Birthdate kind of stay the same, unless they became actors. :-) --grin ✎ 13:49, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

Going Home

Going Home is even used by Chinese local governments, as its often played in 'public' parks (which are gated and ticketed often). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LlYiWbeK18

Is he the same man as weird al yankovich?

Certainly not. For a start, there is neither a recording nor a verifiable claim of K.G. playing the banjo, or performing humorously satirical covers of popular songs... at least, not deliberately. They do have something in common, though. Despite not being virtuoso saxophonists, both do have curly hair.2600:1700:EA01:1090:5892:B30E:6D4E:2005 (talk) 02:49, 1 December 2018 (UTC)

Kenny G explains how he can hold notes so long

In a performance first aired on 12/21/08 titled Kenny G: An Evening of Rhythm and Romance Kenny G demonstrated how he can play a continuous note almost indefinitely. He has the ability to inhale through his nose while playing a note on the sax with his mouth. In this performance he demonstrated this technique while he played a note for just less than one minute. During that 58 seconds he inhaled through his nose about 17 times with his nose next to a microphone so the inhaled breathes could be detected by the audience. Schlif (talk) 05:22, 28 December 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Schlif (talk • contribs) 05:17, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The technique is called circular breathing where the player sustains a pitch by forcing the diaphram to "push" unused air outward after the air in the lungs is exhausted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.115.108.103 (talk) 19:38, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it is called circular breathing, but your explanation makes no sense (and isn't "circular"). Circular breathing involves playing normally while also filling the cheeks with air. Then, when air in the lungs runs low, forcing air out of the mouth with the cheeks while inhaling through the nose. - SummerPhD (talk) 05:01, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Circular breathing is explained here. It wasn't invented by nor is it unique to Kenny G. Jeisenberg (talk) 16:42, 3 November 2011 (UTC)

Image

Seriously? That's the best we have? I know all about our image policies, but this is crap. - SummerPhD (talk) 05:03, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

A few possibilities for comment: A, B, C. Obviously, we can crop/clean them up. Thoughts? - SummerPhD (talk) 05:11, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

A is good because it shows his face and shows him in performance. B is a bad angle. C shows a nice front view but it looks like it's posed at an event; in any case, A looks more like a "real" performance. Do you have the rights on those? Jeisenberg (talk) 16:56, 3 November 2011 (UTC)

Stage Name

I don't see any discussion here about the origin of his stage name. It obviously ties to his first and last names, but that doesn't mean the stage name arose spontaneously out of those. Is there any connection to "Daddy G," a name some attribute to composer and sax player Gene Barge (e.g., http://www.mp3lyrics.org/g/gary-us-bonds/quarter-to-three/). However, per the Gene Barge article, the name Daddy G ties to the titles of two songs he wrote (and lyrics, for example in Quarter to Three, that refer to the sax player as "Daddy 'G'"), and a possible yet not entirely clear tie to Bishop "Daddy" Grace at a church that ties to Barge's group's name. Anyway, the point here is whether there is any information on the origin of Kenny G's stage name. Jeisenberg (talk) 16:53, 3 November 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 7 April 2012

Kenny G no longer holds the Guinness World Record for the longest saxophone note held. Vann Burchfield holds that title.

Alex Yuwen (talk) 03:02, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. mabdul 20:38, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 20 December 2012

Please add the following fact under the section "Personal life" Kenny G's Height: 5'4" Kenny G stated this fact to the audience on December 19, 2012 in Detroit Michigan at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) hall. I was at this event, it was a full house Michigangr (talk) 14:29, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. "I was there and I know it to be true" is not a reliable source; it is original research. —KuyaBriBri^Talk 15:59, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

Kenny G as "smooth jazz" - what sources say

[3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]. 78.26 _{(spin me / revolutions)} 18:56, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

These sources prove the opposite of your assertion. They all refer to Kenny G as a "Saxophonist"-which is what is in the article. [13][14] [15] [16][17][18]41.76.66.11 (talk) 12:59, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

I am not positing that every source says Kenny G is "smooth jazz", although "saxophonist" is not a genre. Fact is many reliable sources (not one, not two, but many, many, and what I presented was just a tiny fraction of sources identifying him as such) consider him, fair or not, correct or not, the seminal example of "smooth jazz", and it should therefore be included in the genre. I don't believe it should be the only identifier, as many other sources identify him as "pop", which I am more personally in agreement with, but my personal opinions shouldn't matter, the sources should. 78.26 _{(spin me / revolutions)} 13:21, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

• Full disclosure* The preceding remarks from an IP address are mine. I had forgotten to log in when I wrote them. My apologies for that DanJazzy (talk) 13:52, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

It would appear that there are sources that are for and others against the motion at hand. This means we should consider which sources are more reliable for use in the article. Going by the lack of consensus in the previous discussion on the same issue, I suggest you consider other solutions using Wiki instruments; WP:THIRDOPINION WP:RSN WP:RFC DanJazzy (talk) 13:52, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

That is a reasonable approach, but not a complete one. First, the genre designation is mostly the opinion of the individual reviewer, and getting two independent-thinking music critics to completely agree would cause the world to end. Second, I don't see the need to list just a single genre. Since there are multiple multiples of reliable sources who describe him as "smooth jazz" or "adult contemporary" (pop) or to a lesser degree "easy listening", it is reasonable to list these in the genre field in the infobox. Theoretically there may be a reliable source listing him as bluegrass (by way of absurd example), but there wouldn't be multiple reliable sources saying such, so it would therefore be reasonable to exclude the exception to the norm. By the sources, the preponderance of genres he is listed as are those currently listed in the infobox, so it is my !vote (not that we're having one) to leave "smooth jazz" there. What I think you could do, though, is create a section in the article body perhaps named "style" which dispassionately discusses the various views regarding his placement on the musical spectrum. 78.26 _{(spin me / revolutions)} 14:37, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

Smooth jazz definitely belongs in the infobox, because there are plenty of reliable sources that state Kenny G is a smooth jazz musician. Whether or not smooth jazz is a valid jazz genre or not is a valid and active debate, but it isn't relevant to its inclusion or exclusion in the infobox, therefore I think it should stay. ANDROS¹³³⁷_TALK 15:04, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

I agree with this. It's not like this is is undue emphasis or a fringe opinion. Multiple, high quality sources have identified him thus. We don't need unanimity in order to label something. If there's a controversy, it can be sourced and discussed in the article. It should not spill over into the infobox. NinjaRobotPirate (talk) 02:12, 14 May 2015 (UTC)

• Keep smooth jazz - Multiple reliable sources refer to his music as smooth jazz and have for many, many years. I fail to see how this could be a controversy. (It's not like we're writing about his religion and he needs to personally verify it.) —Мандичка^YO 😜 13:11, 17 May 2015 (UTC)

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Edit Request

In the Career section under 1990's, the last sentence of the first paragraph reads, "His music were also included in The Shadow, or Miracle on 34th Street." To make this more grammatically correct, the "were" should be changed to "was", and the "or" should be changed to "and".

It should read, "His music was also included in The Shadow, and Miracle on 34th Street."

 Done Thank you! 78.26 _{(spin me / revolutions)} 07:18, 24 April 2016 (UTC)

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Phi Beta Kappa Membership

Please add Kenny's Phi Beta Kappa membership to this article,

Amandapbk (talk) 18:29, 31 August 2017 (UTC)

References

Original Published Date

Hello fellow Wikipedians.

Does anybody know the original publish date of this article? I need it for my project. Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 61.239.82.20 (talk) 13:22, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

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Semi-protected edit request on 2 March 2023

Kenny G doesn't play the flute; he plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophones 2601:580:C180:22D0:44CC:7D37:C786:7E4D (talk) 23:31, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

 Done M.Bitton (talk) 23:40, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

Reverted. He played flute in his first band, the Seattle funksters Cold, Bold & Together during the years 1975 and 1976. Binksternet (talk) 01:35, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

Criticism: JazzTimes Poll

"Critic Josef Woodard found Kenny G serving ‘a noble purpose by offering musicians a paradigm of what not to do’ in a JazzTimes poll in which, though, players such as Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman were characterized as ‘overrated’."

I wanted to rewrite this just because it's rather clunky and confusing but I decided to just say something here first. Who was the one taking part in the poll? It's a bit confusing as to whether Woodard was the one being polled or if Kenny G was taking part in a poll and Woodard was saying his response is an example of what not to do. (I read the article and yes, it was Woodard taking part in the poll, but I had a moment upon first reading that sentence when that wasn't entirely clear.)

The way "though" is used in the middle of that sentence, it seems to be setting it up to be followed by a contrasting statement that never comes. "Though", when used like this, reads like "on the one hand." Using "although" instead would clear that up.

Finally; although Kenton, Ferguson, Davis, Coltrane, and Coleman are mentioned in the article as "overrated", none of them were mentioned by Woodard. In fact, all five were listed as "overrated" by the next critic in the article, Jack Sohmer. The way it's written can lead one to think that came from Woodard. (This is one of those cases where I think grammarians are right to be warry about using the passive voice.)

Anyway, clunky, unclear, and thought it could use a rewrite. But what do others think? Beetfarm Louie (talk) 15:22, 31 July 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 21 September 2023

Remove "flute" as Kenny G doesn't play such an instrument. 2601:580:C100:7BD0:4973:FFC8:E409:3F44 (talk) 00:13, 21 September 2023 (UTC)

He played flute and sax in his first band, the Cold, Bold & Together during 1975–1976. Binksternet (talk) 00:33, 21 September 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 October 2023

Kenny G doesn't play the flute. Please remove "flute", as he doesn't play one. 2601:580:C100:7BD0:E8E4:BB76:8B46:C17C (talk) 00:39, 27 October 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: - see section above. GoingBatty (talk) 16:56, 27 October 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 February 2024

Remove "flute" in instruments 2601:580:C100:7BD0:ACF4:2F89:7647:AE7D (talk) 15:35, 11 February 2024 (UTC)

 Not done. Why would we remove flute? He joined Cold, Bold & Together as the flute/sax player in 1975. The band released a single in 1976 that credits Kenny Gorelick with sax and flute. Binksternet (talk) 17:37, 11 February 2024 (UTC)