Kenny G is funny for trolling the snobs of high society. Let him play his music in peace. Be respectful and pay him for his work if you appreciate it. Freedom of expression is paramount in art.
Critics are always full of it and just shills. That’s the nice thing about rotten tomatoes, you’ll see a trash movie highly praised by critic but low audience score and vice versa for good movies. That’s how you know he’s doing something right. Probably one of the few only things critics were ever right about was jaden smith.
Who cares what critics think? As a jazz musician, I care what other musicians think. And from my experience, most jazz musicians don’t care about Kenny G. Some are annoyed by his music, but virtually every musician I’ve met doesn’t take him seriously. Kenny is doing his own thing. Good for him. He’s clearly not trying to be a jazz musician tho. And we can all tell.
My high school music teacher had a rant about Kenny G that he'd roll out on days classes were shortened or interrupted. I'd like to thank Kenny for those laid back shoot-the-breeze type of days. Even the conversations he inspires are.... functional. Also, Eric Sati explored furniture music more than a hundred years ago. So maybe that's part of G's heritage.
I feel like people will learn Satie and Debussy and Eno pieces because there’s a great complexity in the ambience and it can be rather therapeutic. To truly create furniture music, one must recreate the complexity of the subtle everyday sounds that surround us and Kenny G’s music is nothing like the complicated world around us- he has so much ego that his sax can’t blend with the world around us and his music makes no attempt to replicate the world around us. I don’t think Kenny uses an ambient music philosophy and the term funiture (music in the context of Kenny G) compares the uninspired, commonplace couches to Kenny G’s music.
Simple Solution: If you like his music, then enjoy it. If you don't like his music, then listen to something else that you do like. No need to spend time or energy on hating things. 😁
Never really understood the praise nor criticism for Kenny G. He was great on the first Rippingtons album and his early collaborations in the first half of the 80's in general were good smooth jazz. Was he just marketed better than his contemporaries? I don't see anywhere near the hatred of guys like Najee or David Sanborn. What's particularly special about Kenny G? Tis' a mystery.
Agreed. I also enjoyed his first few solo albums and with the Rippingtons. However, he became too commercial shortly afterwards. Lost interest because everything sounded the same.
Haha I had no idea Kenny G was so universally disliked by snooty musicians. But they are absolutely correct when they say Kenny's music is "functional." I played Kenny almost every night to my infant daughter till she was 2 or 3. Its absolutely magic for babies - super relaxing and chill. I haven't studied in a while, but I listen to Kenny when I'm doing my taxes or working on my budget/paying bills. Also makes for great background music if you're looking for something subtle that you can easily hold a conversation over, or even make love to. It's a heck of a lot better than silence lol.
You may not notice it, but the damage will appear subsequently. Or as you light jazz musicians would say Later on. It melts your brain to listen to this crap. I am outta here.
@@syzyphyz a lot of musicians really do hate him though, especially people who want to create and make new ideas and innovate in jazz. it's probably just frustrating to see someone with so much success labeling their work as "jazz" and then being so cocky about it
Who cares? He is not a saxophone professor who teaches saxophone classes. As long as his music is beautiful, relaxing and inspiring, I still enjoy it very much. Thanks to Kenny G for his music and performance. He is truly a legendary saxophonist.
In the mid 80s I was a teenage jazz snob (could be the title of my movie) and it wasn't that I heard his music and started frothing with hatred, it's just that if his music was called "instrumental R'nB" I would have thought he was great. I don't care now, and you can discover anything on Spotify for free, but back then i thought he was diverting potential jazz fans who didn't know better from the real thing. My son is now a teenager, and his favorite "jazz" artist is Kenny G, so even with exposure to "the real thing" folks still love Kenny.
You dont have to think even vaguely to be able to consume Kenny G's music. It is the most unengaging you'll hear. Really really good top of the bill Airport music.
I love that Kenny G pisses people off just by doing what he does well and being successful. It says a lot more about the people he pisses off than it does about him.
@@bulletsizednuke1100 Point takin . It would be funny to watch him and Herb Alpert have a tune off though . lol. I find it funny a guy who couldn't tune his horn and is saverly limited goes so far . Just like Herb kinda . Only others would tune Herbs at times before recording . Kenny don't think tuning is needed and not worth practicing I guess . I doubt G could play anything put in front of him like studio jazz musicians I know . that takes alot of practice ! Calling his music Jazz is funny.
Because it's annoying how little he can do to be successful, and music is more than just making money which is the main criticism against him. He sacrifices the artform for the money, and that's why musicians hate him.
@@Nickname-wi8kz For me, it represents a time when (Western) humanity wasn't trying to abandon what it had learned from thousands of years of history. Instead, it was trying to build upon it!
@@PersonWithFace You might be interested in a RUclips video about Germany from Thomas Sowell. And if you're interested at all in ReasonTV, you _definitely_ must check out Thomas Sowell.
What annoys musicians especially jazz musicians , is when people equate kenny G to jazz just because he plays the sax. Yes there is some element of improvisation to his music but it’s basically instrumental pop with a heavy accent on syrup. The musically ignorant masses think that’s jazz and that’s where the annoyance comes from. The irony is when he played with the jeff Lorber fusion band he showed that he can actually play! No one would know that cause when he was playing more in the fusion/ jazz genre he was obscure. Whether it’s politics or arts, ignorance is a powerful thing. That’s life.
I feel like I've entered an alternate reality. I'm a 25 year old who had spent a huge chunk of his life listening to and creating music. I've never heard the name Kenny G in my life.
Impossible. His jazzy Christmas renditions play all over the radio and retail stores every December, and have for the last 20+ years. You may not w of use his name, but there’s no way you haven’t heard his music.
I think a lot of it is too, in addition to his apparent aloofness to the tradition, is the societal response to Kenny G as jazz. Nick, dont be so Punk Rock as to assume this is an “old white guy” thing either. You’re better than that…
To say jazz is defined by "old white guys" is a very old white guy thing to say. Extremely ignorant of the jazz tradition and who its modern descendants are.
To put Kenny G into context, he's like the McDonald's hamburger of Jazz. It's the most popular, it's the most known, it's everywhere so it's the most accessible, it's what most people think of when you ask them about hamburgers, it tastes good to most people, but it is also complete garbage and there is so much better out there. I will say, I kind of respect him because he does his own thing and does not seem to give a fuck what anyone says. I got stuck seeing him at a festival one year. I thought it was boring, but everyone was loving it. And this wasn't a white crowd - it was mostly black. The Black women were going crazy and loving it.
"It's his utter lack of interest in jazz" I think this is the key to understanding all the hatred. It just does not sound like jazz to SOME people immersed in the culture. As someone who just started exploring a lot of jazz in the last few years, I can hear some Grover Washington in his playing but not much else. (Keep in mind i dont actively listen to kenny g) Kenny G does not have to be jazz. But also Kenny G doesnt have to not be jazz. His non-jazz influences are clear and his jazz influences can be obscured and this bothers some.
Is it because critics are generally out of touch elitists that feel the need to be “better than” the non critics? Even the woman in the video is disconnected with her “your ten hours in the factory” line.
The thing about Kenny G is that he doesn't take himself too seriously. You might like his music, or you might hate it, but you can't hate him as a person.
It's just another example of how disconnected critics are from what people really enjoy. Critics are concerned about style, about the rules, about theories and methods, and all the book learning that goes into a work of art. The people just want to enjoy the art and don't give a rat's hindquarters about any of that, even the few who even know about any of it. "I may not know Art, but I know what I like" is more than a mere cliche, it's simple truth.
@@chickenfishhybrid44 They don't have to, but they should. The whole reason they exist is so that people have some idea where to spend their entertainment dollars. Why even have them if they can't be relied upon to give you some idea what you will likely enjoy?
@@uncaboat2399 Jazz music was never for the common public to begin with. It was made by African Americans in a time where the general public oppressed them. It was art only supported by the fellow musicians and all about the musician first. All Kenny G had to do was to not call it Jazz music. It's not just music critics that are mad at him, it's the entire jazz community.
Want a film contrasting Kenny G and Coltrane. If you don’t understand this difference, then you are going to have a hard time understanding the issue. Liberace vs Bill Evans or Art Tatum is another example. In another arena, the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the 86 Celtics.
Honestly, I love Penny’s documentary on Kenny G. Even though I am a jazz head and not a smooth jazz guy, the documentary gave me a new appreciation for Kenny’s personality, skills and attitude about his work. He seems like such a gracious guy and while his music might not necessarily be to my taste, I certainly won’t write him off as a skilled saxophone player and artist again.
Sure except the main difference is that the artists who hate Kincade like other pieces that are worth millions. The jazz musicians that hate Kenny G don't make anywhere near that amount.
Jazz musicians have their own unique style. Some of them have a style that benefits people swinging and tossing arms to rock the night away, some are more down to earth and compliments people who chill out, others are down in the dumps who help with some heartfelt feelings. Kenny G's style feels more like a relaxing cruise with your arms in the wind, which fits people who just want to listen to jazz music without a care in the world.
I like Jazz and like Kenny G. I think the problem with people who hate him is because he is popular. "His music is furniture", and what is wrong with furniture?
Kenny can play jazz. There are dozens of video clips of him blowing complicated lines including John Coltranre tunes. He makes his money writing commercial instrumental smooth jazz. Go and do some research and you might stop whinging like a sulky fourth form student.
If I remember correctly, much of the controversy stems from his "cover" of "What a Wonderful World", which was made pretty much by sticking a Kenny G solo right in the middle of the classic Louis Armstrong record. A lot of traditionalists (Pat Metheny is a famous example) thought it was blasphemy to do that to such a historical record and release it as his "cover". And then the controversy just kind of stuck in association with him as an artist.
Never heard of Kenny G. But I probably have heard his music without knowing it in doctors offices or at grocery stores etc. I will watch this documentary it seems interesting.
Everyone loves Kenny G unless you play Jazz, then you hate Kenny. He's the Drake or Hip-hip. If you're not in Hip-hop you live him but true rap heads hate him.
How do you know everyone who plays jazz hates Kenny G? Have you spent the last 5 years travelling the globe and asking them on a one to one basis??? What a silly statement to make.
If it wasn’t for Kenny G, I wouldn’t have listened to Grover Washington Jr., Wes Montgomery and George Benson. On top of that, Kenny G open my doors to jazz music from amazing jazz artists like Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane
I never cared for him because his music is pretty with no soul, like a picture of a girl on hustler she is pretty, attractive but is not a women, she is an object. The fact that he sold 75M tells you that he make a product not for what it means, he makes a product that is to be consumed. His music is like porn or fast food or opera’s show, entertaining and even exciting but meaningless no less. Count me as a Kenny’s detractors.
So basically a pop artist who plays a soprano Saxophone which fits the description way better than smooth 'jazz' coz there's literally no impovs or anything of that sort. I don't wanna get too theoretical about this or spread hate even. I agree with your description to a good extent but I don't hate Kenny. His music is some music just not jazz.
Amazing musician and i know kenny could not care what people think, he's creating great music enjoying it and getting well paid, also he was one of the early financial backers in starbucks
whose coffee is carelessly over-roasted overpriced and sucks . at least 2 of those qualifiers applies to the G's music Any quality coffee, like Tchibo's African Blue for home brewing is less than half the price and many times the quality if you are in Germany or England, you can try it. You can get a capp. for 2.50, and they're 3.90 or so at Starbucks and they taste burnt and suck
@@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out lol I was about to say. I absolutely despise Starbucks and how they turned their bad (this is my opinion) coffee into a lifestyle brand. Starbucks coffee tastes heinous to me. It's worse than mediocre because the horrid taste they settled on seems intentional. It's a very particular taste, and I find it disgusting. I'd take Dunkin original over Pike Place every single time. All personal opinion tho
All the controversy would be gone if we all agree in calling his style something like "sax adult contemporary" instead of smooth jazz. Everyone would be happy then.
Kenny G was the first “jazz” saxophonist I listen to as a kid when I first started playing the saxophone in junior high (I’m 45 now), although I’d like Kenny G it didn’t take me long to figure out that all his music sounds the same, like there’s no real depth to it, with that said he’s 100 times better player than I am so who am I to judge.
@@Philo-ul2uq Point taken. Though I would add that the majority of great bop players and early swing players all used similar standards of jazz vocabulary, of which were still not old white guys.
@@hannanathan564 while true, it's not a necessary distinction. The point of the documentary is that Kenny G is an outlier. He doesn't fit the history. He has no desire to play a style, he takes jazz harmony (tetrads and extensions etc.) But he doesn't play on the 2 and 4 of the meter. It's like giving a baseball bat and ball to the natives of North Sentinel Island and watching them invent a game of their own. We don't need to know the "intended purpose of the game" at that point.
@@Philo-ul2uq The bottom line is still that old white guys did not create jazz vocabulary, regardless of Kenny G. Even if the conversation were about any other jazz related topic, the fact remains, old white guys played little to no role in the conception of jazz and given nomenclature. It’s a rebuttal to was speaker’s isolated insinuation, not to the totality of the video.
I have great memories of dancing while Kenny G “Tooloodle- loodled,” at military balls. Honestly I would listen to Kenny G all day with a big smile on my face before I would sit through four bars of Gato Barbieri.
@@spode8520 I'll say it again. You are entitled to your opinion, wrong though it may be! I say this as a saxophone _listener,_ which I think makes me eminently more qualified.
His tunes are modern chamber music for the masses. It's pleasant and you don't need to give it your full attention. But then again, I like Bert Kaempfert's music as well just like the Beatles did.
Not all enjoyable music has to be stuffy art. Sounding nice is quite enough sometimes. Evidence of that is the vast majority of today's popular music. Simpler than ever technically, but a lot of people like it. That's just fine.
Honestly most Jazz Musicians hate him because he is simply not that good. If you got to your average college Jazz band, their first horn is probably better. To me and many others Kenny G gives Jazz a bad name (Which most of his stuff isn’t Jazz it’s Pop). Also he made a tribute to Louis Armstrong which was just sacrilege. That’s like the Whip and Nae Nae guy doing a tribute to biggie.
What a load of rubbish. Kenny does not give jazz a bad name. It's only self conceited individuals like yourself that like to think he gives jazz a bad name because you are pissed at the vast sums of money he earns from his music.
I disagree that Kenny G has no knowledge about jazz. I think he does. George Benson also knows a helluvalot about jazz, but often engages in smooth stuff.. Two things are undeniable, Kenny G has a lovely tone, and great technique👍
I would probably hate his music if it was my job to listen to and comment on it. I haven't heard much of it, but if it's suitable for ambiance in a building or for putting people to sleep, it's probably not interesting enough to enjoy listening to closely, much less comment on
I'm not a fan of Kenny G - I like many of the jazz greats - but I don't have an aversion toward him. I'll check out the documentary because I enjoyed Hail Satan.
I remember hearing him live at Lincoln Center in NYC about 30 years ago. My problem was that he played the same riff at least a half dozen times during the concert. Every time he improvised, he played the exact same riff. He sure could play the sax, but there was something ... lazy about the presentation.
I don't personally know him or his work well, but I suspect critics hate him precisely because he is popular It is the same with the artist Jack Vettriano
This is a misconception. Most people don't listen to jazz to sit there and carefully analyze the harmony. Cool harmony sounds cool to me, there's no extra step to enjoying it. Kenny G does not sound cool to me. It's just all opinions at the end of the day. Don't let the purists stop you from listening to what you like.
It’s that they don’t like straightahead jazz . .. but smooth jazz is simplistic & has a simple Melody ,& of course race .. Kenny G is a modern day Stan Getz.. as they say .. Stan Getz was the Kenny G of his time.. 🎷🎶
yo lo voy a decir muy claro, kenny g hizo algo que nadie se atrevia porque su ego no se lo permitia, es hacer una musica instrumental sencilla y que la comprendiera todo el mercado, agrego con mucha inteligencia lo de la respiracion continua donde habia algo de magia, y llego a un mercado masivo cosa que ningun instrumentista logro hacer en esta epoca. next
I have no opinion on Kenny G because I honestly cannot bring myself to listen to his music for more than 30 seconds at most before I am so bored that I need to turn it off. His music isn't bad or good - it's just not really music. It's more like white noise.
What's wrong with you people? The reason people hate Kenny G is that he had the gall to put himself on a record with Louis Armstrong. That's unforgivable.
Hi. I think jazz nuts dislike Kenny G is because his solos (though melodic) lack that ‘thicc funk’ that jazz nuts look for. He’s really good but he may be leaning towards the pop side of smooth jazz. You do you what makes you happy. 🤌
"What matters is doing what you love." Having seen what others love to do i tend to disagree with that. Denying choice to others is something of a national pastime in many parts of the world of late. Maybe "What matters is doing what you love as long as you allow others to do the same." or something along those lines.
To me, Kenny G is to "smooth jazz" what Rod McKuen was to poetry in the late 60s: Syrupy sweet schmaltz that's marginally enjoyable in very small doses.
I honestly never thought about it, but I respect Kenny G for giving no effs and just doing him.
I don't know one of his songs but I always wanted him, yani, michael bolton, and fabio to start a band
@@American-Dragon that’s a lot of hair
Kenny G is funny for trolling the snobs of high society. Let him play his music in peace. Be respectful and pay him for his work if you appreciate it. Freedom of expression is paramount in art.
That certainly seems to have proven to be a winning strategy! 75 million records is nothing to sneeze at!
@@American-Dragon and Weird Al of course.
Fellow interviewing Liberace: "Do people's criticisms bother you?"
Liberace: "Oh yes! I cry all the way to the bank."
Who?
"Can't you see? It all makes perfect sense
Expressed in dollars and cents"
Roger Waters, from the album "Amused to Death"
The fact that Mr. G so bothers critics makes me his fan.
True. He’s just doing his thing so he probably doesn’t even realize he’s getting under so many people skin
@@sabrinatscha2554 he realizes it, he calls them the Jazz police
Best part of being a Kenny g fan -- you look forward to being put on hold..
Critics are always full of it and just shills. That’s the nice thing about rotten tomatoes, you’ll see a trash movie highly praised by critic but low audience score and vice versa for good movies. That’s how you know he’s doing something right.
Probably one of the few only things critics were ever right about was jaden smith.
That is sooooo funny! Exactly why I'm not a Kenny G fan. That comment made my day.
Honestly, I never knew Kenny G. was controversial. Innocence is bless in the cases like this where it does not effect my personal freedoms.
"ignorance is bliss" not "innocence is bless"
Ignorance of the English language is not so blissful.😩
@@tedl7538 lol stfu you probably will struggle if you speak in another language
Who cares what critics think? As a jazz musician, I care what other musicians think. And from my experience, most jazz musicians don’t care about Kenny G. Some are annoyed by his music, but virtually every musician I’ve met doesn’t take him seriously.
Kenny is doing his own thing. Good for him. He’s clearly not trying to be a jazz musician tho. And we can all tell.
Connecting Kenny G to Satanists was the spin zone I was not prepared for
My high school music teacher had a rant about Kenny G that he'd roll out on days classes were shortened or interrupted. I'd like to thank Kenny for those laid back shoot-the-breeze type of days. Even the conversations he inspires are.... functional.
Also, Eric Sati explored furniture music more than a hundred years ago. So maybe that's part of G's heritage.
The difference is though, Satie understood the concept of musical space and when to not play.
I love Satie.
Me too. One of my favorites. I'm embarrassed I spelled his name wrong.....
@Fremen Same. I discovered Eno in high school, very pre-Internet. His music is still a big part of my life.
Except Satie's music has a thousand times more complexity, nuance and range than Kenny G could even imagine.
I feel like people will learn Satie and Debussy and Eno pieces because there’s a great complexity in the ambience and it can be rather therapeutic. To truly create furniture music, one must recreate the complexity of the subtle everyday sounds that surround us and Kenny G’s music is nothing like the complicated world around us- he has so much ego that his sax can’t blend with the world around us and his music makes no attempt to replicate the world around us. I don’t think Kenny uses an ambient music philosophy and the term funiture (music in the context of Kenny G) compares the uninspired, commonplace couches to Kenny G’s music.
Simple Solution:
If you like his music, then enjoy it.
If you don't like his music, then listen to something else that you do like.
No need to spend time or energy on hating things. 😁
Critics: THAT'S NOT ART-
Kenny G: *Ya’ll Like Jazz?*
So he's the Thomas Kinkade of music.
Exactly. I thought of the same analogy while watching the movie.
Except with Kinkade there is actual visible effort and him caring for his work.
@@spode8520 It's not like Kenny doesn't care for his music, it's just not edgy or pushing boundaries, same with Kinkade.
@@syzyphyz But I personally can see a little respect with Kinkade, like the same with Bob Ross. Kenny G is just not a good person in general imo
Exactly, Sean. I've been saying that for decades. Kind of like popping a few Xanax or Seconal.
Never really understood the praise nor criticism for Kenny G. He was great on the first Rippingtons album and his early collaborations in the first half of the 80's in general were good smooth jazz. Was he just marketed better than his contemporaries? I don't see anywhere near the hatred of guys like Najee or David Sanborn. What's particularly special about Kenny G? Tis' a mystery.
Agreed. I also enjoyed his first few solo albums and with the Rippingtons. However, he became too commercial shortly afterwards. Lost interest because everything sounded the same.
Arturo Sandoval had the best quote regarding people laughing at Kenny G 'Kenny G is laughing too...all the way to the bank.'
Haha I had no idea Kenny G was so universally disliked by snooty musicians.
But they are absolutely correct when they say Kenny's music is "functional."
I played Kenny almost every night to my infant daughter till she was 2 or 3. Its absolutely magic for babies - super relaxing and chill.
I haven't studied in a while, but I listen to Kenny when I'm doing my taxes or working on my budget/paying bills. Also makes for great background music if you're looking for something subtle that you can easily hold a conversation over, or even make love to. It's a heck of a lot better than silence lol.
I think it's more critics than musicians who revile him.
For some reason I've noticed critic types have this crusade against "background music." God knows why that's supposed to be a problem.
Nothing wrong with functional. Like marching band music, gets you going. Kenny G is foreground music for me.
You may not notice it, but the damage will appear subsequently. Or as you light jazz musicians would say Later on. It melts your brain to listen to this crap. I am outta here.
@@syzyphyz a lot of musicians really do hate him though, especially people who want to create and make new ideas and innovate in jazz. it's probably just frustrating to see someone with so much success labeling their work as "jazz" and then being so cocky about it
Who cares? He is not a saxophone professor who teaches saxophone classes. As long as his music is beautiful, relaxing and inspiring, I still enjoy it very much. Thanks to Kenny G for his music and performance. He is truly a legendary saxophonist.
In the mid 80s I was a teenage jazz snob (could be the title of my movie) and it wasn't that I heard his music and started frothing with hatred, it's just that if his music was called "instrumental R'nB" I would have thought he was great. I don't care now, and you can discover anything on Spotify for free, but back then i thought he was diverting potential jazz fans who didn't know better from the real thing. My son is now a teenager, and his favorite "jazz" artist is Kenny G, so even with exposure to "the real thing" folks still love Kenny.
For most people, anything instrumental is Jazz, especially Sax. 🤷🏻♂️
You dont have to think even vaguely to be able to consume Kenny G's music. It is the most unengaging you'll hear. Really really good top of the bill Airport music.
"Kenny G is history's greatest monster" LOL
we need more monsters like him
Yeah I won’t be watching this ladies documentary. Just another streaming service puff piece made by a Karen.
Director’s name is Penny Lane. How I would love to be named after a Beatles song.
"It's not that great" - H. Skelter
I don’t care what people say about Kenny G. I love his music. He has given me memories of a lot of great sex in the 90s!
😂
😂😂😂😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I didn't know Kelpy G was a real person
isnt that a kind of dog?
Haha, i had forgotten they parodied him in Spongebob
I love that Kenny G pisses people off just by doing what he does well and being successful. It says a lot more about the people he pisses off than it does about him.
He pisses off the right people
@@FeelinCLO2 I mean, if you don't give a shit and are successful, what's there to laugh at?
@@bulletsizednuke1100 Point takin . It would be funny to watch him and Herb Alpert have a tune off though . lol. I find it funny a guy who couldn't tune his horn and is saverly limited goes so far . Just like Herb kinda . Only others would tune Herbs at times before recording . Kenny don't think tuning is needed and not worth practicing I guess . I doubt G could play anything put in front of him like studio jazz musicians I know . that takes alot of practice ! Calling his music Jazz is funny.
Because it's annoying how little he can do to be successful, and music is more than just making money which is the main criticism against him. He sacrifices the artform for the money, and that's why musicians hate him.
One of the smug critics in his documentary even came out and said “I’m better than this music!”
KG is the aspirin of the music world. Most people like it and need it, but few can't take it. I like KG's music.
Me: "Um.. I guess I will subscribe to ReasonTV."
ReasonTV: "Let's celebrate Kenny G!"
Why do you have a Kaiserrichsfahne as a profile picture?
i think its actually just a celebration of the filmmakers open minded attitudes
@@Nickname-wi8kz For me, it represents a time when (Western) humanity wasn't trying to abandon what it had learned from thousands of years of history.
Instead, it was trying to build upon it!
@@PersonWithFace You might be interested in a RUclips video about Germany from Thomas Sowell.
And if you're interested at all in ReasonTV, you _definitely_ must check out Thomas Sowell.
@@uncaboat2399 I know about Sowell. Smart fella.
What annoys musicians especially jazz musicians , is when people equate kenny G to jazz just because he plays the sax. Yes there is some element of improvisation to his music but it’s basically instrumental pop with a heavy accent on syrup. The musically ignorant masses think that’s jazz and that’s where the annoyance comes from. The irony is when he played with the jeff Lorber fusion band he showed that he can actually play! No one would know that cause when he was playing more in the fusion/ jazz genre he was obscure. Whether it’s politics or arts, ignorance is a powerful thing. That’s life.
I feel like I've entered an alternate reality. I'm a 25 year old who had spent a huge chunk of his life listening to and creating music. I've never heard the name Kenny G in my life.
I'm willing to bet that you would recognize "Songbird" even though you didn't know it was Kenny G.
Now you know what to put in your RUclips search field.
I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Impossible. His jazzy Christmas renditions play all over the radio and retail stores every December, and have for the last 20+ years. You may not w of use his name, but there’s no way you haven’t heard his music.
Yep, same, never heard of him. I looked up 'songbird' and the most I can say is it's so unrecognisable I maybe heard it in the background of a movie.
your not missing much .lol.
someday peoples realize that Kenny G is a gift to humankind
I think a lot of it is too, in addition to his apparent aloofness to the tradition, is the societal response to Kenny G as jazz. Nick, dont be so Punk Rock as to assume this is an “old white guy” thing either. You’re better than that…
Is he better than that? Im sure this guy is just controlled opposition its not his first slip up
To say jazz is defined by "old white guys" is a very old white guy thing to say. Extremely ignorant of the jazz tradition and who its modern descendants are.
Why he is obligated to care about the traditions of jazz?
The original punk rockers are now old white guys (the ones that survived).
No shit, of all the genres to bring that up. When he does stuff like that I always wonder if it's on purpose or if he actually thinks that way.
To put Kenny G into context, he's like the McDonald's hamburger of Jazz. It's the most popular, it's the most known, it's everywhere so it's the most accessible, it's what most people think of when you ask them about hamburgers, it tastes good to most people, but it is also complete garbage and there is so much better out there.
I will say, I kind of respect him because he does his own thing and does not seem to give a fuck what anyone says. I got stuck seeing him at a festival one year. I thought it was boring, but everyone was loving it. And this wasn't a white crowd - it was mostly black. The Black women were going crazy and loving it.
This is the best analogy I’ve read so far.
"It's his utter lack of interest in jazz"
I think this is the key to understanding all the hatred. It just does not sound like jazz to SOME people immersed in the culture.
As someone who just started exploring a lot of jazz in the last few years, I can hear some Grover Washington in his playing but not much else. (Keep in mind i dont actively listen to kenny g)
Kenny G does not have to be jazz. But also Kenny G doesnt have to not be jazz. His non-jazz influences are clear and his jazz influences can be obscured and this bothers some.
You could say she loves to play devils advocate
She's a archetype libertarian. I've been this way since 1980: I think I'm smarter than everyone else, but . . . I might be wrong.
Archetypical
I'm not a fan of Kenny G's music, but I respect the hell out of the man!
Is it because critics are generally out of touch elitists that feel the need to be “better than” the non critics? Even the woman in the video is disconnected with her “your ten hours in the factory” line.
The thing about Kenny G is that he doesn't take himself too seriously. You might like his music, or you might hate it, but you can't hate him as a person.
yes you can, he is extremely arrogant in almost anything he says.
It's just another example of how disconnected critics are from what people really enjoy. Critics are concerned about style, about the rules, about theories and methods, and all the book learning that goes into a work of art. The people just want to enjoy the art and don't give a rat's hindquarters about any of that, even the few who even know about any of it.
"I may not know Art, but I know what I like" is more than a mere cliche, it's simple truth.
Critics don't have to align with the general concesious either though.
@@chickenfishhybrid44 They don't have to, but they should. The whole reason they exist is so that people have some idea where to spend their entertainment dollars. Why even have them if they can't be relied upon to give you some idea what you will likely enjoy?
@@uncaboat2399 Jazz music was never for the common public to begin with. It was made by African Americans in a time where the general public oppressed them. It was art only supported by the fellow musicians and all about the musician first. All Kenny G had to do was to not call it Jazz music. It's not just music critics that are mad at him, it's the entire jazz community.
@@spode8520 You are not a spokesperson for "the entire jazz community". I'm a jazz musician, and I have nothing whatsoever against Kenny G.
@@gregcarter8656 If you are a jazz musician then you should know that most other jazz musicians dislike what Kenny G does.
Want a film contrasting Kenny G and Coltrane. If you don’t understand this difference, then you are going to have a hard time understanding the issue. Liberace vs Bill Evans or Art Tatum is another example. In another arena, the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the 86 Celtics.
Because he's known for music.........no politics, no agenda, no n-words, no trans penisectomy, just jazz
Critics hate Kenny G because they want to be him
Honestly, I love Penny’s documentary on Kenny G. Even though I am a jazz head and not a smooth jazz guy, the documentary gave me a new appreciation for Kenny’s personality, skills and attitude about his work. He seems like such a gracious guy and while his music might not necessarily be to my taste, I certainly won’t write him off as a skilled saxophone player and artist again.
The same people that hate Kenny G probably hate the painter Thomas Kincade. For largely the same reasons.
Yes, you've hit on it. Saccharine.
Sure except the main difference is that the artists who hate Kincade like other pieces that are worth millions. The jazz musicians that hate Kenny G don't make anywhere near that amount.
“Penny lane” what a name
We definitely need a Kenny G, Michael Bolton & Nickelback Supergroup 😂
Kenny G is the best…and we love him.
Critics are like the fleas on a dog- irritating and useless.
4:15 she literally described trolling xD
Andy Kaufman is history's greatest monster
Jazz musicians have their own unique style.
Some of them have a style that benefits people swinging and tossing arms to rock the night away, some are more down to earth and compliments people who chill out, others are down in the dumps who help with some heartfelt feelings.
Kenny G's style feels more like a relaxing cruise with your arms in the wind, which fits people who just want to listen to jazz music without a care in the world.
I use to listen to Kenny G, Boney James and Hiroshima on The old smooth jazz radio station in Norfolk VA CD 105.3
I like Jazz and like Kenny G. I think the problem with people who hate him is because he is popular. "His music is furniture", and what is wrong with furniture?
Kenny G is nothing more than pop instrumentalist and knows absolutely nothing about jazz period..
And what is wrong with being a pop instrumentalist?
@@leotamer5 nothing, but to call yourself jazz is completely wrong.
Kenny can play jazz. There are dozens of video clips of him blowing complicated lines including John Coltranre tunes. He makes his money writing commercial instrumental smooth jazz.
Go and do some research and you might stop whinging like a sulky fourth form student.
If I remember correctly, much of the controversy stems from his "cover" of "What a Wonderful World", which was made pretty much by sticking a Kenny G solo right in the middle of the classic Louis Armstrong record. A lot of traditionalists (Pat Metheny is a famous example) thought it was blasphemy to do that to such a historical record and release it as his "cover". And then the controversy just kind of stuck in association with him as an artist.
Kenny G: Icon of liberty.
Never heard of Kenny G. But I probably have heard his music without knowing it in doctors offices or at grocery stores etc. I will watch this documentary it seems interesting.
I didn't know about people that so vehemently disliked specific music genres other than rock and roll or perhaps rap. Bizarre
None of those elite critics have ever spent 10 hours working in a factory.
They are not elite, and they are not all critics. Jazz musicians hate Kenny G and they make less than factory workers in some cases.
Everyone loves Kenny G unless you play Jazz, then you hate Kenny. He's the Drake or Hip-hip. If you're not in Hip-hop you live him but true rap heads hate him.
How do you know everyone who plays jazz hates Kenny G?
Have you spent the last 5 years travelling the globe and asking them on a one to one basis???
What a silly statement to make.
If I was in coma and they played Kenny G to me, I would find the strength to wake up and tell them to shut that music down.
If it wasn’t for Kenny G, I wouldn’t have listened to Grover Washington Jr., Wes Montgomery and George Benson.
On top of that, Kenny G open my doors to jazz music from amazing jazz artists like Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane
The man is pure magic
I never cared for him because his music is pretty with no soul, like a picture of a girl on hustler she is pretty, attractive but is not a women, she is an object. The fact that he sold 75M tells you that he make a product not for what it means, he makes a product that is to be consumed. His music is like porn or fast food or opera’s show, entertaining and even exciting but meaningless no less. Count me as a Kenny’s detractors.
So basically a pop artist who plays a soprano Saxophone which fits the description way better than smooth 'jazz' coz there's literally no impovs or anything of that sort. I don't wanna get too theoretical about this or spread hate even. I agree with your description to a good extent but I don't hate Kenny. His music is some music just not jazz.
Amazing musician and i know kenny could not care what people think, he's creating great music enjoying it and getting well paid, also he was one of the early financial backers in starbucks
He's the definition of mediocre
whose coffee is carelessly over-roasted overpriced and sucks . at least 2 of those qualifiers applies to the G's music
Any quality coffee, like Tchibo's African Blue for home brewing is less than half the price and many times the quality
if you are in Germany or England, you can try it. You can get a capp. for 2.50, and they're 3.90 or so at Starbucks and they taste burnt and suck
@@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out lol I was about to say. I absolutely despise Starbucks and how they turned their bad (this is my opinion) coffee into a lifestyle brand.
Starbucks coffee tastes heinous to me. It's worse than mediocre because the horrid taste they settled on seems intentional. It's a very particular taste, and I find it disgusting. I'd take Dunkin original over Pike Place every single time.
All personal opinion tho
Why? Ask musicians. He plays too perfectly without any soul.
All the controversy would be gone if we all agree in calling his style something like "sax adult contemporary" instead of smooth jazz. Everyone would be happy then.
Yo that woman at 0:50 is actually named Penny lane? Righteous
Kenny G was the first “jazz” saxophonist I listen to as a kid when I first started playing the saxophone in junior high (I’m 45 now), although I’d like Kenny G it didn’t take me long to figure out that all his music sounds the same, like there’s no real depth to it, with that said he’s 100 times better player than I am so who am I to judge.
4:39 Old white guys created the language of jazz? That’s incredibly historically inaccurate.
1. "Described by some"
2. The language of something is not the same as the thing itself.
@@Philo-ul2uq Point taken. Though I would add that the majority of great bop players and early swing players all used similar standards of jazz vocabulary, of which were still not old white guys.
@@hannanathan564 while true, it's not a necessary distinction. The point of the documentary is that Kenny G is an outlier. He doesn't fit the history. He has no desire to play a style, he takes jazz harmony (tetrads and extensions etc.) But he doesn't play on the 2 and 4 of the meter.
It's like giving a baseball bat and ball to the natives of North Sentinel Island and watching them invent a game of their own.
We don't need to know the "intended purpose of the game" at that point.
@@Philo-ul2uq The bottom line is still that old white guys did not create jazz vocabulary, regardless of Kenny G. Even if the conversation were about any other jazz related topic, the fact remains, old white guys played little to no role in the conception of jazz and given nomenclature. It’s a rebuttal to was speaker’s isolated insinuation, not to the totality of the video.
I have great memories of dancing while Kenny G “Tooloodle- loodled,” at military balls. Honestly I would listen to Kenny G all day with a big smile on my face before I would sit through four bars of Gato Barbieri.
Not that it matters at all, but I happen to like Gato Barbieri as well. I can listen to a _lot_ more than four bars!
they are both bad
@@spode8520 you are entitled to your opinion, wrong though it may be!
@@uncaboat2399 As a saxophone player myself, I whole heartedly disagree.
@@spode8520 I'll say it again. You are entitled to your opinion, wrong though it may be! I say this as a saxophone _listener,_ which I think makes me eminently more qualified.
Stephen King once quoted Mickey Spillane when asked about criticism of his (King's) work "if people like you, you're good ".
His tunes are modern chamber music for the masses. It's pleasant and you don't need to give it your full attention. But then again, I like Bert Kaempfert's music as well just like the Beatles did.
Not all enjoyable music has to be stuffy art. Sounding nice is quite enough sometimes. Evidence of that is the vast majority of today's popular music. Simpler than ever technically, but a lot of people like it. That's just fine.
Wallpaper - a perfect word for KG! 0:04
I’m a serious jazz lover. I don’t hate Kenny G., but I don’t like his music and don’t like it when people think I do.
Honestly most Jazz Musicians hate him because he is simply not that good. If you got to your average college Jazz band, their first horn is probably better. To me and many others Kenny G gives Jazz a bad name (Which most of his stuff isn’t Jazz it’s Pop).
Also he made a tribute to Louis Armstrong which was just sacrilege. That’s like the Whip and Nae Nae guy doing a tribute to biggie.
What a load of rubbish. Kenny does not give jazz a bad name. It's only self conceited individuals like yourself that like to think he gives jazz a bad name because you are pissed at the vast sums of money he earns from his music.
I suppose Pat Matheny is just jealous that this guy's rich and he's not.
Yeah totally….that’s the reason..
Pat is a big Beatles fan. I wonder if he would call Now And Then "musical necrophilia" ??
I disagree that Kenny G has no knowledge about jazz. I think he does. George Benson also knows a helluvalot about jazz, but often engages in smooth stuff.. Two things are undeniable, Kenny G has a lovely tone, and great technique👍
I would probably hate his music if it was my job to listen to and comment on it. I haven't heard much of it, but if it's suitable for ambiance in a building or for putting people to sleep, it's probably not interesting enough to enjoy listening to closely, much less comment on
Do you know who that is?
It's famous Let's Player, Daniel Avidan!
I was looking for this comment as soon as I perceived the title.
She describes the Non-Aggression Principle very succinctly.
I'm not a fan of Kenny G - I like many of the jazz greats - but I don't have an aversion toward him. I'll check out the documentary because I enjoyed Hail Satan.
Film Students bash Titanic for similar reasons
I remember hearing him live at Lincoln Center in NYC about 30 years ago. My problem was that he played the same riff at least a half dozen times during the concert. Every time he improvised, he played the exact same riff. He sure could play the sax, but there was something ... lazy about the presentation.
Lazy or relaxed? That’s what bugs people.
@@druoleary nothing wrong with relaxed. Chick Corea as an example. I meant lazy.
Paul Desmond is a perfect example of a relaxed saxophone sound. Not lazy in any way as an improvisor, however.
Interview is going great until interviewer chooses to interject... "but what about old white male and jews"
I don't personally know him or his work well, but I suspect critics hate him precisely because he is popular
It is the same with the artist Jack Vettriano
I love Kenny G. His music touches me more than Paty Metheny's musics❤ and I'm a jazz music player 😊
Not all art need to be analysed for some deep meaning, if they even have them at all. Kenny G's music provide good vibes and that's enough for me.
This is a misconception. Most people don't listen to jazz to sit there and carefully analyze the harmony. Cool harmony sounds cool to me, there's no extra step to enjoying it. Kenny G does not sound cool to me.
It's just all opinions at the end of the day. Don't let the purists stop you from listening to what you like.
I love Kenny G. Keep blowing that sax
I was never really into Kenny G, but his “haters” got it all wrong. He never called his music jazz.
Penny Lane's humility is the fundamental libertarian personality trait, not being a contrarian.
Kenny G..The perfect musician for people who think elevator music is the best music ever invented.
It’s that they don’t like straightahead jazz . .. but smooth jazz is simplistic & has a simple Melody ,& of course race .. Kenny G is a modern day Stan Getz.. as they say .. Stan Getz was the Kenny G of his time.. 🎷🎶
No he wasn't Kenny g is utter trash compared to Stan Getz level of musicianship
yo lo voy a decir muy claro, kenny g hizo algo que nadie se atrevia porque su ego no se lo permitia, es hacer una musica instrumental sencilla y que la comprendiera todo el mercado, agrego con mucha inteligencia lo de la respiracion continua donde habia algo de magia, y llego a un mercado masivo cosa que ningun instrumentista logro hacer en esta epoca. next
I have no opinion on Kenny G because I honestly cannot bring myself to listen to his music for more than 30 seconds at most before I am so bored that I need to turn it off. His music isn't bad or good - it's just not really music. It's more like white noise.
Well done .That's 25 seconds more than I can take to listen to serious modern jazz 😊
What's wrong with you people? The reason people hate Kenny G is that he had the gall to put himself on a record with Louis Armstrong. That's unforgivable.
lol anything that makes the tastemakers seethe like the crybabies they are has value to me.
Hi. I think jazz nuts dislike Kenny G is because his solos (though melodic) lack that ‘thicc funk’ that jazz nuts look for. He’s really good but he may be leaning towards the pop side of smooth jazz.
You do you what makes you happy. 🤌
High recommend Kenny G’s interview on EAA’s Green Dot Podcast.
I don't care for the music, but I respect the man.
What matters is doing what you love.
Everyone has different tastes, enjoy yours.
"What matters is doing what you love." Having seen what others love to do i tend to disagree with that. Denying choice to others is something of a national pastime in many parts of the world of late. Maybe "What matters is doing what you love as long as you allow others to do the same." or something along those lines.
Kenng G is to jazz what Vanessa Mae is to alpine skiing. They are both successful at it no matter what anyone says.
The fact that he pisses off critics so much makes me like him more.
he pisses off musicians too. no one seems to know that.
“Why should jazz have one meaning, that is described by some like old white guys.” I’ve never heard a more confidently incorrect statement in my life.
To me, Kenny G is to "smooth jazz" what Rod McKuen was to poetry in the late 60s: Syrupy sweet schmaltz that's marginally enjoyable in very small doses.