[Dixielandjazz] Kenny G.

[J. D. Bryce]

There is no question in my mind that Kenny G is a jazz player of a sort.
His lines are clearly drawn from boppers like Bird.  He has excellent
technique, phrasing and breath control. I used to comment that Kenny only
plays new or original compositions..that i wanted to hear him do tunes that
others had done for comparison.  Then I heard his version of Body and Soul
on tenor and it was creditable....it wasn't on a par with Hawkings, Webster
or Berry, but it was good.

Kenny G has found a niche and is making an excellent living in it.  I don't
fault him for his success. The problem I have with him on soprano is his
tone.  His soprano sounds metallic...almost oboesque.  And since he has
recorded so much, almost all that young soprano players have heard is him,
so 20 or so years from now soprano saxes will sound like Kenny and that is a
shame.  I love the sounds of Kenny Davern and Bob Wilbur...melodic and full
with rich vibratos.  To me, that is the way a soprano should sound.  When I
play soprano, I aim for that kind of rich, lush tone.

The same phenomenon happened with Pete Fountain on clarinet.  He recorded so
much between 1959 and 1980 that his sound was pretty much what youngster
heard and so there is a whole generation of clarinetist who's sound comes
from him.  There's nothing wrong with Pete's sound. He was profoundly
influenced by Fazola  It's a wonderful sound, but it is not all there is.
Tony Parente, Buddy DeFranco, Peanuts Hucko and a host of others had
different and equally appealing sounds.  Unfortunately, they didn't record
as prolifically as Pete did.

People have said they can hear Fountain's influence in my playing, but they
also hear Shaw, and Goodman...not to mention the influence of Henning
Hoehne, Bobby Gordon and Joe Ashworth.  Those last three aren't as well
known, but are/were extraordinary players with wonderful and exciting tones,
augmented with tremendous technique to boot.

So I don't knock Kenny G, but I do wish there were other examples for kids
to hear and learn from.

J. D. Bryce