Kenny G
| Kenny G | |
|---|---|
 Kenny G playing at The Players Championship award ceremony |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth Bruce Gorelick |
| Also known as | Kenny G |
| Born | June 5, 1956 |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Smooth jazz Adult contemporary |
| Occupations | Composer Songwriter |
| Instruments | Primary: Soprano saxophone Secondary: Alto saxophone Tenor saxophone Flute |
| Years active | 1973–1982 (group) 1982–present (solo) |
| Labels | Arista (1982–2006) Concord Jazz (2008–present) |
| Website | www.kennyg.com |
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), better known by his stage name Kenny G, is a Grammy winning American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986.[1] Kenny G is the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, with global sales totaling more than 75 million albums.[2]
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Early life
Kenny G was born in Seattle, Washington to a Jewish family and first came into contact with a saxophone when he heard someone performing with one on The Ed Sullivan Show.[1] He started playing the saxophone in 1966 when he was 10 years old. He learned how to play under the direction of local trumpeter Gerald Pfister and by practicing along with records (mostly of Grover Washington, Jr.), trying to emulate the sounds that he was hearing. His first saxophone was a Buffet Crampon alto.[3]
Kenny G attended Whitworth Elementary School, Sharples-Jr High School, Franklin High School, and the University of Washington, all in his home town of Seattle, Washington. When he entered high school, he failed on his first try to get into the jazz band, but tried again the following year and earned first chair.[4][5] In addition to his studies while in high school, he took private lessons on the saxophone and clarinet from Johnny Jessen, once a week for a year.[6]
He was also on his high school golf team.[5] He had loved the sport ever since his older brother, Brian Gorelick, introduced it to him when he was ten years old, which is the same age when he started playing the saxophone.[5]
Career
Kenny G's career started with a job as a sideman for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973 while 17 and still in high school.[7][8] He continued to play professionally while studying for a major in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle and graduated magna cum laude.[7][9] He played with the funk band Cold, Bold & Together[9] before becoming a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion.[8] He began his solo career after his period with Lorber.[8]
Kenny G signed with Arista Records as a solo artist in 1982, after label president Clive Davis heard his rendition of ABBA's "Dancing Queen".[8] He has released many solo albums and collaborated with various artists including Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston,[10], Peabo Bryson, Toni Braxton, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince,[11] Natalie Cole,[12] Steve Miller[13] (which marked the only time he appeared on a rock and roll album), Dudley Moore, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin.[10] Influenced by the likes of saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.,[6] his own albums are usually classified as smooth jazz.
He received success quite early on, with both G Force and Gravity, his second and third studio albums respectively, achieving platinum status in the United States. These sales were topped by his fourth studio album, Duotones, which sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. His sixth studio album, Breathless, became the number one best selling instrumental album ever, with over 15 million copies sold, of which 12 million were in the U.S. He broke another record when his first holiday album, Miracles, sold over 13 million copies, making it the most successful Christmas album to date.[9]
In 1997, Kenny G earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. Using circular breathing, Kenny G held an E-flat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds at J&R Music World in New York City.[14] That same year, Kenny G's song "Havana", from his album The Moment, was remixed by noted DJs Todd Terry and Tony Moran and released promotionally to dance clubs in the U.S. These mixes went to #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart in April 1997.[15]
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[16][17] and especially not by a musician such as Kenny G whose contributions to jazz were already in question.[18][19] Some columnists countered the criticisms suggesting such a recording would bring classic jazz to a wider audience.[20] Kenny G fans considered the live performance of this duet with Armstrong on a video taped backdrop a "show stopper."[21]
Kenny G has recorded some Chinese songs, such as "Jasmine Flower" (茉莉花) or "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心). His music is noticeably popular in China. His recording "Going Home" is often played at closing time at public places or at the end of classes at schools. Mass transit systems in Tianjin and Shanghai play these songs when trains approach terminus stations.
As of 2003, Kenny G was named the 25th-highest selling artist in America by the RIAA, with 48 million albums sold in the USA as of July 31, 2006.[22] In 1994, Kenny G won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for Forever in Love.
In October 2009, Kenny G appeared with the band Weezer in an AOL promotion of their album Raditude by soloing during "I'm Your Daddy". Kenny G said he knew nothing of Weezer before the performance.[23] Though some music critics thereby rejoined in the common criticism of his work[24][25] the unlikely combination was fairly well received by AOL's magazines Spinner.com and Popeater.com.[23][26]
Equipment
Kenny G plays the Selmer Mark VI Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxophones. He has created his own line of saxophones called "Kenny G Saxophones".
Personal life
Kenny G is married to Lyndie Benson, with whom he has two sons, Max (age 16) and Noah (age 11).
He frequently plays golf and had a handicap index of +0.6.[4] He has participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament seven times as of 2007 and teamed with Phil Mickelson to share the AT&T pro-am title in 2001 with the team of Tiger Woods and Jerry Chang.[5] In the Golf Digest rankings of Top 100 in Music, according to golf handicap indexes of major musicians, he was first in 2006[4] and second in 2008.[27]
Kenny G is an aircraft pilot and has a De Havilland Beaver seaplane that he flies regularly.[28] He is also one of the original investors in the Starbucks coffee house chain.[29]
Discography
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Kenny G Is Still the Smooth Jazz King". Barnes & Noble.com. October 2002. http://music.barnesandnoble.com/features/interview.asp?NID=598266&z=y. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ Turegano, Preston (2009-09). "Kenny G - Grammy winner and best-selling instrumental musician of the modern era". Smooth Jazz News (Smooth Jazz News). http://smoothjazznews.com/archives/september2009/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
- ↑ Kenny G (2009-06-19). "Some more Q & A". Kenny G Rhythm and Romance. http://kennyg.com/blog/. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Diaz, Jaime (December 2006). "After selling millions of records, Grammy winner Kenny G wants to conquer golf". GolfDigest.com. http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2006-12/kennyg. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Kroichick, Ron (February 7, 2007). "Kenny G can swing with the best of them". Scripps News (ScrippsNews.com). http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/19279. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wissmuller, Christian (2006). "I'm just doing my own thing, too". Jazzed (December/January). http://www.jazzedmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=DB82F62537074828BBCEEDE627080729&nm=Archives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=DC361A86F0E94F41ACBF6EC31A485461. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Glenn, Alan (1995). "Kenny G". Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam™ Research, Inc. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Kenny_G.aspx. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Yanow, Scott. "Kenny G Biography". AllMusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:4usyxdabjolk~T1. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Zimmerman, Kevin (September 30, 2002). "Kenny G Has Time on his Side". BMI.com. http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233313. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sandow, Greg (2007). "Kenny G". Microsoft Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761584562/Kenny_G.html. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
- ↑ "The Moment - Credits". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kxftxq9hldte~T2. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
- ↑ "Everlasting - Credits". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:difqxqe5ldke~T2. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
- ↑ "Living in the 20th Century - Credits". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fuxqw5ld6e~T2. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
- ↑ Haring, Bruce (1997-12-02). "Kenny G. Blows". Yahoo!. http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12037787. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ↑ "Dance/Club Play Songs - Week of April 26, 1997". Billboard.com. Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs?chartDate=1997-04-26#/charts/dance-club-play-songs?chartDate=1997-04-26. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ↑ Ben Ratliff MUSIC; Jazz Can Take Itself Too Seriously New York Times, July 16, 2000
- ↑ Mark Sabbatini Kenny G: At Last...The Duets Album All About Jazz, December 30, 2004
- ↑ George Varga Kenny G: Changes His Tune JazzTimes May 1999
- ↑ Mike Joyce Who's overrated? Who's Underrated? JazzTimes, September 1997
- ↑ Maldonado, Shirley (2000-08-10). "Gee whiz, give Kenny a break". Boston Herald (Boston Herald and Herald Media). http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/57812085.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+10%2C+2000&author=Shirley+Maldonado&pub=Boston+Herald&edition=&startpage=049&desc=Gee+whiz%2C+give+Kenny+a+break. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
- ↑ "Parrotheads flock to Merriweather: Nesting with Buffett; Kenny G at Nissan, Irish at Wolf Trap." (Washington Weekend)(Riffs), Raymond M. Lane, The Washington Times, August 26, 1999
- ↑ "Top Artists". RIAA.com. July 31, 2006. http://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/topartists.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Charley Rogulewski Weezer Run With Chamillionaire, Sara Bareilles and ... Kenny G? Spinner.com, Oct 23 2009
- ↑ Tom Breihan Weezer Team Up With Kenny G, Chamillionaire, Sara Bareilles Pitchfork Media, October 23, 2009
- ↑ Mike Burr Weezer Breaks Out Rolodex, Brings Kenny G., Chamillionaire, and Sara Bareilles To AOL Session Prefix Magazine , October 23, 2009
- ↑ Kenny G Steps Back Into the Spotlight popeater.com, 26 October 2009
- ↑ Furlong, Lisa; Craig Bestrom (2008-11). "The Top 100 in Music". Golf Digest. Condé Nast Digital. http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/musicians. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
- ↑ Strauss, Neil (2006-10-31). "... And Two if by Seaplane". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/08/garden/and-two-if-by-seaplane.html?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
- ↑ Harding, Cortney (2008-01-25). "Q&A: Kenny G explores Latin "Rhythm"". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2537209120080126. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
External links
- Kenny G's official website
- Kenny G at Myspace
- Kenny G at Legacy Recordings
- Kenny G at VH1.com
- Kenny G Interview - Billboard en Español
- Kenny G at Allmusic
- Kenny G at the Internet Movie Database
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