[Dixielandjazz] Kanny G a jazz musician?

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

What or what isn't jazz is pretty subjective.  If it has all the 
elements then it is Jazz but not all jazz speaks to us.  Frankly I just 
don't care for Be Bop.  It just doesn't talk to me.  At one time Jazz 
was fairly pure without a lot of variation but today you can find it in 
a lot of places.  I shudder at Jazz rock but it's still jazz by the 
definitions that I know.

As an ever changing art form Jazz is hard to pin down.  I prefer the 
older styles because I understand them.  Jazz has become diluted to a 
certain extent over time just as Rock has.  In the 50's you had Bill 
Hailey, Elvis and a few others with a narrowly defined style.  You could 
count on simple beats, orchestration, chord patterns and words.  Today 
rock is anything but that.  You can still hear vestiges of early rock in 
C&W music.

Jazz is an evolving art form.  New forms of it will come along that we 
may or may not like.  The chances are that we won't because we are used 
to what we know.  I think that's why we are even on this list because we 
tend to look to the past for our musical inspiration and enjoyment.  
There is nothing wrong with that just that it's in our comfort zone.

So where does Kenny G. fit? I wouldn't call him cutting edge but his 
music does conjure up images.  Kind of flowery for my taste.  I like 
music to be a little tougher and a little less fairy like but again 
that's a matter of taste.  The G. Flutters around too much for me.

Kenny's music in addition to the elements (ie syncopation etc.) that 
Steve mentioned is also melodic, and the Jazz is horizontal vs. some of 
the newer forms and does not challenge the listener.

Does being melodic or aiming at the public disqualify an artist from the 
title of Jazz musician?  I hope not because that's what I do and I fancy 
myself as a jazz musician although not as far out or as accomplished as 
some.

Kenny will be gratified to know that I think it's jazz.  Just not my flavor.
Larry Walton

Steve barbone wrote:
> "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com> wrote (polite snip)
>  
>   
>> Most of what he has put out which sits in the Jazz section at your
>> local store is Jazz? No!
>>     
>
> I respect that as an opinion and many of us on the DJML when we hear him,
> may not hear it as jazz.
>
> I have not listened to all that G has sitting in the record stores so I
> can't opine one way or the other on that. However, everything I've ever
> heard him do is jazz. It is syncopated, contains improvisation and all the
> other elements of Jazz. Why, even Pat Metheny who loathes G hears it as
> jazz, suggesting that we then compare him with jazz musicians, and in that
> comparison, would find him below par. (but perhaps better than all of us
> jazz musicians on the DJML ;-) VBG.)
>
> Whether I like what he does or not has no bearing because he is not doing it
> specifically for me.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>
>
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