The trouble with Kenny G

A famous jazz guitarist (as far as jazz guitarists go) named Pat Metheny has written a scathing essay vilifying easy-listening saxophonist Kenny G. It's passionate, venomous, and even mildly thought-provoking. Here's an excerpt:

"When Kenny G decided that it was appropriate for him to defile the music of [Louis Armstrong], who is probably the greatest jazz musician that has ever lived by spewing his lame-ass, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling, wimped out, f*cked up playing all over one of the great Louis's tracks (even one of his lesser ones), he did something that I would not have imagined possible.

He, in one move, through his unbelievably pretentious and calloused musical decision to embark on this most cynical of musical paths, sh*t all over the graves of all the musicians past and present who have risked their lives by going out there on the road for years and years developing their own music inspired by the standards of grace that Louis Armstrong brought to every single note he played over an amazing lifetime as a musician.

By disrespecting Louis, his legacy and by default, everyone who has ever tried to do something positive with improvised music and what it can be, Kenny G has created a new low point in modern culture - something that we all should be totally embarrassed about - and afraid of. We ignore this, "let it slide", at our own peril."

Check out the full article here.

Posted by matt at September 27, 2004 04:37 PM