Kenny G rejects the standards path to return to making original music
Written by The Canadian Press
February 29, 2008

NEW YORK - The easygoing, smooth jazz star Kenny G makes an unlikely rebel. But he had to put his sax down when his longtime record label insisted that he do yet another album of standards.

The G-man saw no point in following other older artists like Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow down the well-worn path of playing cover tunes. So he arranged an amicable divorce from Arista Records in order to return to making original music.

"All my success in the past ... have always been my original compositions played the way that I play and people seem to connect with that," said Kenny G, in a telephone interview from his Malibu, Calif., home. "I lost sight of that a little bit and I'm glad to be going back to my roots and re-establishing the integrity that I've had in my music.

His new CD "Rhythm & Romance" - his debut for Concord/Starbucks Entertainment - is not only the 51-year-old saxophonist's first album of original music since 2002, but also finds him exploring new territory in Latin music. His inspiration came from the jazz bossa nova recordings by Cannonball Adderley and Stan Getz that the young Kenny Gorelick heard growing up in Seattle.

"I love the way the saxophone feels with a Latin rhythm, and I felt maybe I can do something like that, but of course do my thing and have it sound different than anything else," he said. "You've got to continually try to reinvent yourself.

"I always thought that my music could have a little bit more rhythm and a little less ballads," he added. "There's a lot of really uptempo songs ... and much more improvisation on this record ... There's more rhythm here than anything I've ever done but yet it's still romantic."

The new record marks the end of his 25-year relationship with music mogul Clive Davis, who first spotted the saxophonist when he was a sideman in Jeff Lorber's jazz-fusion band and released his self-titled debut album in 1982.

Their partnership resulted in 26 albums - with global sales totalling more than 75 million records - including his breakthrough 1986 "Duotones," which went multi-platinum thanks largely to the success of the sultry "Songbird"; the Grammy-winning 1992 "Breathless," the all-time best-selling instrumental album; and 1994's "Miracles: The Holiday Album," which put the Jewish musician right behind Elvis Presley on the list of top-selling Christmas albums in the United States.

But more recently the saxophonist says he felt "handcuffed" by having to play cover tunes on which he couldn't stray far from the melody. According to Kenny G, Arista insisted on him doing standards albums such as the 2006 "I'm in the Mood for Love: The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time."

"Unfortunately, I fell into a category with Arista of, well, you can't really do original material any more," he said. "It was tough to convince them that I'm not a Barry Manilow or a Rod Stewart who had tremendous success with their cover tunes. ... I really don't think the world was waiting for me to do my instrumental version of that same idea."
"I knew that doing a Latin album of original material was going to be an amazing project ... but Clive and the guys at Arista were not interested at all," he added. "I said, well I have to do this album so we're going to have to get a friendly divorce."

The saxophonist and his longtime collaborator, pianist Walter Afanasieff, composed a collection of love songs with a Latin twist, including such spicy uptempo tunes as "Sax-o-Loco" and "Salsa Kenny." The saxophonist also turned to his friend, actor-comedian George Lopez, who suggested the only two Latin standards among the 12 tracks - "Sabor A Mi" and "Besame Mucho."

In the studio, the saxophonist was joined by Latin music stars, including guitarist Ramon Stagnaro; percussionists Michito Sanchez and Paulinho Da Costa; and former Weather Report drummer Alex Acuna, who added samba, salsa and bossa nova rhythms to fit each melody.

"Personally, I think that this is one of the best albums that Kenny has done in years," said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment. "It's kind of a return for Kenny back to doing original music that is really what he built his reputation and credibility about."

Kenny G says he's fortunate his parents helped develop his sense of self-esteem which has enabled him to laugh along with all the jokes about his music being best suited for elevators, dental offices and insomniacs. When he went into the studio to record "Rhythm & Romance," he even came up with his own humorous catch phrase to loosen things up: "I'm taking my music out of the elevator and south of the border."

"People can tell when somebody's doing something from their heart or whether they're doing it from their brain," he said. "Fortunately for me, I sleep well at night because I know that I've always played the best that I can ... and a lot of people seem to like what I do."

Copyright 2008 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.


Q&A: Kenny G explores Latin "Rhythm"
Written by Cortney Harding / Billboard
January 25, 2008

Special thanks to Courtney and Reuters/Billboard.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Somewhere in the mid-'90s, Kenny G stopped being just a jazz musician and became a cultural phenomenon. His light music and luscious curls made him the butt of many jokes, but the G man laughed all the way to the bank.

Since 1991, he's sold 33 million albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan. He holds the record for the highest-selling Christmas album, as well as a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone.

His last few records, however, had underwhelming sales; his 2006 album, "I'm in the Mood for Love," sold only 250,000 copies. But Kenny G is ready to make a big comeback -- his first album of original material since 2002, "Rhythm and Romance," will be released February 5 through Concord Records and Starbucks.

Q: Why did you leave Arista after 25 years on the label?
Kenny G: "I was with Arista forever, and Clive (Davis) was like family to me. But I wanted to do an album of original material, and that wasn't what they wanted me to do. I personally wanted to get back to my roots and explore doing creative things. Also, I think people are tired of cover records and they are hungry for original music."

Q: How did you come to sign with Starbucks and Concord?
Kenny G: "I was actually one of the original Starbucks investors, and (chairman) Howard Schultz is a good friend. I presented the idea for the record to Concord and Starbucks, making it clear that I wanted to do a Latin album and write all the music. Everyone signed on, and I've been really happy with the deal so far. I think the future of music retail is really in stores like Starbucks."

Q: Will your fan base respond to a Latin record? Your last few albums have been either covers or greatest-hits records.
Kenny G: "Honestly, I think my fans might have been disappointed with the fact that I haven't been putting out original material recently. This record is really me getting back to my roots, doing lots of improv and melodies, combined with a Latin feel. The title is pretty apt -- the album has both rhythm and romance. I think this is my best work since the mid-'90s."

Q: Talk about the new line of saxophones you just debuted.
Kenny G: "There will be two models -- the G series, for more advanced musicians, and the E series, which is for educational purposes. I partnered with Rheuben Allen, an amazing sax repairman, and he actually relocated to China to live at the factory and quality-check all the instruments. I'm especially excited about the E series, because so many kids learn on horns that aren't built that well, and we're making sure that the educational horns are top quality. I'm working on partnerships with music educators, because it makes such a difference when a kid learns on a great horn."

Q: Are there other branding opportunities in your future?
Kenny G: "I am partnering with D'Addario, a company that manufactures instrument strings and reeds, to do my own line of saxophone accessories. There will be a full line of reeds and reed holders and neck straps.
"I wouldn't mind doing a wine, maybe in Korea. Red wine is very popular over there, and I have a pretty solid following that I think would be interested. But it all depends on me finding some free time to do it."

Q: You have the best-selling Christmas record, but Josh Groban is coming up fast on your heels. If you were in a fight, who would win?
Kenny G: (Laughs) "Well, Josh and I performed together at a dinner party awhile back, and he actually lives pretty close to me. He's a great guy, and I wouldn't want to fight him. I'm happy for his success, and I'd love to do more music with him."

Reuters/Billboard