[aragon63]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-mjt1ypiF8&feature=share

 Is this criticism deserved ? Or Pat's full of himself ?

[mjosef]

Deserved, IMO.

However, I find most of PAtM music somewhat boring too. But I did like his collaboration with Ornette on SOng X.

[Diamond Dog]

That kind of BS elitist attitude has done more to turn people off of jazz than Kenny G ever did. He may have given more context at some point in that interview that may have made him look like less of a douche but...
A lot of people think A Love Supreme is the worst music ever recorded, never mind Kenny G. I'm sure Pat Metheny has the odd detractor as well. So be it. Music snobs are soooooo tedious...
As a man once said: "Shut up and play your guitar."

D.D.

[HAITIMAN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-mjt1ypiF8&feature=share

 Is this criticism deserved ? Or Pat's full of himself ?

Nothing wrong with telling it like it is. It's ironic, however, that you have to weed through a lot of Pat's stuff just to find the real good music.
It's less a critique of KG than the idea that people are fooled into thinking that his music is "Jazz".

Check out Pat's playing on "Turnaround" from 80/81

[FullRangeMan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-mjt1ypiF8&feature=share

 Is this criticism deserved ? Or Pat's full of himself ?

Obviously not deserved. Kenny G music is all about the round sound and refinement as Glenn Miller or Beatles.
These racist and envious comments from Metheny are due the extensive Kenny success.
Its from the 1990s and had been extensively debated in the Jazz Times of then, maybe Metheny already change your mind as Kenny is no more on Top 10 for some years, as much as Pat.

Kenny G albums are for music lovers, they are nicely perfomed and recorded.
Pat had more bad music albums than Kenny as Amarican Garage and the crap solo Zero Tolerance for Silence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-iI8fs9eQ

[jimdgoulding]

In this context, I must admit to being a snob.  Not so sure about racist, tho.  Kenny G is akin to pablum to me.  But, apparently he's a good trip for somebody and who's to say that a few of his fans haven't begun to listen to jazz more intently.

[CSI]

I could never listen to Mr. G's music long enough to tell if he is any good or not. My bad, I guess, because I have always agreed with Pat Metheny's assessment of him. So have most other Jazz fans I know. But maybe we are just snobs and resent his commercial success. Or maybe he is as light weight as we think he is. As for the racism, I must have missed a major race change here. Looks like one long haired white musician criticizing another long haired white musician to me.

[galyons]

Kenny G albums are for music lovers, they are nicely performed and recorded.

Agreed, we all want to listen to something in those elevators.    Not a fan of Kenny G's monotonous squeaking.  IMO, it is not jazz.  If you enjoy his stuff that is fine. But I think comparing him to Glenn Miller and/or the Beatles is a bit far fetched.

 I think one of the most telling indicators is from Rasputin's website. (largest SF Bay Area CD/LP/DVD retail and used merchant. ), on buying used for resale:

Fallen Artists
On the other hand, there are some CDs where there’s way more people trying to sell them than people who want to buy them, so regardless of list price, the used offer is much lower. Artists that fall into this category might include Blackstreet, N*Sync, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, later Boston, Neil Diamond, Gwen Stefani or Kenny G. People don’t want these things anymore, so we have a hard time selling them, and consequently we can’t pay you much for them. We might pay 10 – 50 cents for one of these CDs in new condition.



To me, this is a more appropriate classification than Glenn Miller and the Beatles!

Cheers,
Geary

[BobM]

How old is this issue? Didn't this all happen about 10 years ago?

[strateahed]

CSI +1 ... very well said.


Strateahed (as in "straight ahead" jazz)

[FullRangeMan]

How old is this issue? Didn't this all happen about 10 years ago?

Correcting: the magazine are Jazziz from May2001.
On page 40 they perforn the Kenny G experiment, which were a endurance 24hs listening Kenny music, obviously another joke with Kenny.

[rockadanny]

racist

   

[FullRangeMan]

Agreed, we all want to listen to something in those elevators.    Not a fan of Kenny G's monotonous squeaking.  IMO, it is not jazz.  If you enjoy his stuff that is fine. But I think comparing him to Glenn Miller and/or the Beatles is a bit far fetched.

 I think one of the most telling indicators is from Rasputin's website. (largest SF Bay Area CD/LP/DVD retail and used merchant. ), on buying used for resale:

Fallen Artists
On the other hand, there are some CDs where there’s way more people trying to sell them than people who want to buy them, so regardless of list price, the used offer is much lower. Artists that fall into this category might include Blackstreet, N*Sync, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, later Boston, Neil Diamond, Gwen Stefani or Kenny G. People don’t want these things anymore, so we have a hard time selling them, and consequently we can’t pay you much for them. We might pay 10 – 50 cents for one of these CDs in new condition.



To me, this is a more appropriate classification than Glenn Miller and the Beatles!

Cheers,
Geary

Kenny music are smooth jazz, it may be monotonous if one like heavy metal or similar etc...
Maybe Kenny could be replaced by Barry Manillow in this list, but Berry dont appear in this list why he lives in Beverly Hills, a neighbor of SF.

Kenny is haunted by famous musicians who are praised by the jazz press because he is popular and sells well due his music are simple, easy listening and delivery immediate pleasure for those who buy their albums.

If this is sin, Kenny is guilty.

[dB Cooper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-mjt1ypiF8&feature=share

 Is this criticism deserved ? Or Pat's full of himself ?

Both. I think G's music is stupid and sucks too, but these comments were unprofessional. And I can think of plenty of music even stupider than Kenny G. As hard as it is to make a living in the arts, Metheny should appreciate that. For every one making Metheny or Kenny G money, there are 1000 playing on the street for what people are willing to toss into a hat.

Better to be positive. A co worker told me when he first started playing sax, he thought G was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He told a friend this and the friend responded by introducing him to Trane.

Like they said in Seabiscuit, "You don't put Jack Dempsey in against a middleweight."

[jimdgoulding]

I just thought of a term that suits the fellow pretty well, imo . . "Whitebread".

[dB Cooper]

He's the Zamfir of the sax if you ask me. But Metheny's comment was disrespectful, not only by calling his music "stupid" but by going further and saying it was "the stupidest music ever made". I have lots of candidates for the second title who crowd out Kenny G pretty easily IMJ. My thing is, If I, a mere music fan, say "Kenny G's music sucks", it's not the same thing as a high profile player- not only in the same field but in the same genre- saying it. I don't think Metheny's comments did any damage to Kenny G's marketability; it's just the missing professionalism. I have a feeling Metheny thought he was "off the record". OOPS

[S Clark]

Hate to break it to Mr. Methany, but he isn't exactly my idea of great jazz either.  At least he has his moments- Kenny is just Muzak. 
Very successful Muzak... from Wikipedia
" Kenny G is the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era and one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records.[2] "

[kevin360]

I think a little context is in order. Read the back story, as it were, before passing judgment on Pat's comments.

http://www.jazzoasis.com/methenyonkennyg.htm

[Diamond Dog]

Yup, there's that context I was talking about. So he could have just slagged another musician and left it at that - catty, but not unusual. But noooooo, he's gotta go on and slag the Polish people " in general". It is said that if one is already standing in a hole, one should stop digging. And shut up. And play one's guitar.
Whattadouche.

D.D.

[apollophono]

Wow what a topic.  I've had many a discussion similar to this.  Oh, so and so
is lousy.  His/her music sucks etc.  I'm just a guilty as anybody regarding my
opinion on who is a great musician and who can make great music.  I think
it needs to be broken down into different parts. 

1) What is music?  I've come to the conclusion that like beauty... music is in
     ear of the beholder.  Some people don't like listening to complicated
     music.  Some people are more into words in a song than the music itself.
     Some like music because of the sound.   Rap music is very basic and I hate
     it, but some like it because of the words and the beat.  I hate that they
     took parts of songs that I loved in the past and (ab)used it.  Pat thought
     that of Kenny G.  Can't say that I blame him.  I don't like Kenny G's
     music either, but that doesn't mean I like Pat's.  Just because you
     can improvise better than somebody else doesn't make your music better
     either.  I like Chuck Mangione's music better than Pat's. 
2)  Does a good musician make good music?  Not necessarily.  There are
     many talented musicians, but can't write good songs/music.  Kenny may
     not be a talented musician, but his music is liked by many people.  That's
     the ticket to making money, being popular and making it big in the music
     industry. 
3)  Does the ability to write complicated pieces of music or being able to play
     fast make you a better musician.  Not necessarily.  There are musicians
     that are fast, Chick Corea and Al Dimeola, but I don't always like their
     stuff.  It doesn't "stir" me and other musicians can play I think with more
     emotion. 

To conclude I like music that stirs me or that I can appreciate.  Early Santana
did that.  Stuff with John Mclaughlin and Alice Coltrane didn't.  I like bluegrass
but not country much.  I like music by the Fabulous Thunderbirds with Jimmy
Vaughn and not much by Stevie Ray Vaughn.  I like Pink Floyd  and a lot of
David Gilmore's dark material.  I like The Police because of the drumming and
beat.  I haven't liked classical.  I hate most Disco and Rap, but I liked Michael
Jackson's Thriller and Eminems stuff that got airplay. 

Why do you like music?