[charmerci]

In answer to your question, if Vegas Celine decided to do a Bowie cover album and it blew up and the Rolling Stone comment section wasn't the internet keyboard -warrior slagfest wallow that you would automatically expect it to be, I'd be too busy stocking up on ammo, canned food and bottled water to worry about it.

So, you're saying you'd do her in yourself??? 


My term for her North American singing is the Bolton-Houston Syndrome. Ever since those two started getting mega-hits in that style decades ago.......aaarrrrggghhh! 

[thunderbrick]

I'm sorry, but the image of David Bowie beating Celine Dion with a banjo is going to take awhile to rid my head of.

Yeah, but can you imagine how many YouTube hits it would get?  I'd look forward to seeing that!   

[playntheblues]

jimdgoulding  when you say "white bread" are you referring to bland, no taste, no content etc. etc. etc. (aside from your poor taste in metaphor's)  You are welcome to your opinion but like it or not this guy has left some beautiful music on our planet.  He has added happiness to many folks lives, even if he hasn't done this for you or me.  For the record I enjoy some of his stuff at the right time.  For that matter I enjoy most all music all-be-it some of it in small dose's    

It is a known fact that man cannot get along with man, be it on religion, which country you are from, what color you are, what part of the US you grew up in...North Yankees or Southern rednecks etc.,  music is no different if we all good be a little more tolerant with each other and each others likes and dislikes this slinging ball of mud we call home would be a far better place!   

[BobM]

I still can't understand why we are commenting and making a big deal about something that happened back in 2001.

It's over! Get on with your life.

[playntheblues]

BobM, it is just a chance to be a little philosophic  enjoy.

[Scotlynn]

There are things in life I care deeply about - environmental and community health issues, economic trends, human rights, income inequality, to name a few. I would even add music to that list since it occupies such a big part of my life (and budget  ).  And then there's a whole host of things I can't imagine spending a whole lot of time caring about. Two of the latter would have to be 1) what Pat Metheny thinks about Kenny G and 2) what Kenny G does to earn money with his music sales.

As far as Kenny G using Louie Armstrong to sell records - he's not the first to do this sort of thing and won't be the last. Lauryn Hill did a great 'duet' with Bob Marley on Turn Your Lights Down Low and, though I love Bob Marley, I would never take offense (whether I liked the finished product or not.) Hell, Natalie Cole did an entire album with her dead dad, the great Nat King Cole. Music and art are inherently derivative, and short of outright plagiarism, its all fine by me as long as it sounds good at the end of the day (and that's purely subjective, of course) and everyone gets the proper credit. After that, its all caveat emptor and let the market decide.

I have some Pat Metheny records that I enjoy (I think the soundtrack from A Map of the World is wonderful, as is his Missouri Sky recording with Charlie Haden) and I have some Kenny G on the shelf somewhere that hasn't been touched in a looong time. Neither Metheny or Kenny G will ever, in my opinion, rate as highly as Louie Armstrong. But what Metheny thinks and what Kenny G did to sell his next record is not going to change my listening habits. Metheny will still get some random playtime, and perhaps I'll dust off a Kenny G cd one day, perhaps not. Sure, I sometimes find artistic and thought processes (and the opinions of artists) behind the music interesting in passing, but for me, its all about the music, not the musician - all about hitting play or dropping the needle and then sitting back and enjoying the moment.

[jimdgoulding]

I think a large part of Matheny's resentment is because the G-man has made so much money while truly original jazz artists have not.  I think Matheny resents his borrowing from the artform.  If you like Kenny, I guess I would have to put up my jazz collection were you ever my guest.  Wonder what Miles Davis thought of him.  Just kidding, I don't wonder in the least.  Anyway, I don't begrudge him his success and Matheny didn't do himself any favors.  What he said didn't need to be said. 

[FullRangeMan]

I think a large part of Matheny's resentment is because the G-man has made so much money while truly original jazz artists have not.  I think Matheny resents his borrowing from the artform.  If you like Kenny, I guess I would have to put up my jazz collection were you ever my guest.  Wonder what Miles Davis thought of him.  Just kidding, I don't wonder in the least.  Anyway, I don't begrudge him his success and Matheny didn't do himself any favors.  What he said didn't need to be said.

I will agree or Pat had a personal prob with Kenny.
In true Pat are doing a merchandizing for Kenny.
Kenny must be smiling about it.

[jimdgoulding]

I kinda doubt that, FRM, but I'm pickin Denver to beat Seattle in the North American football championship game, so who knows. 

[simoon]

Uhhh, perhaps the Keanu Reeves example is not the best... considering that the great Kenneth Branagh cast and played opposite him in "Much Adu About Nothing" 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7eOwKN3Goo

LOL!

Yeah, I might have picked the wrong actors for my analogy, but my point stands.

A less then skilled modern actor inserting himself/herself into a classic Olivier film performance of  Shakespeare would be unceremoniously ridiculed by critics and other actors for the exact same reasons Metheny is criticizing Kenny G inserting himself into a classic jazz performance.

[bladesmith]

With all due respect.

I don't listen to either. Being from kansas City,  we don't really think of them as real jazz artist. 
More like pop jazz or fusion jazz or maybe just elevator musicians.

Neither of these two would show up at a venue I would attend, and if they did, I would just finish my drink and leave.

And I say this, with all due respect.

[geowak]

Art comparison:
Pat Metheny= Salvador Dali
Kenny G= Bob Ross
Surreal and experimenting vs fluffy clouds

[orientalexpress]

With all due respect.

I don't listen to either. Being from kansas City,  we don't really think of them as real jazz artist. 
More like pop jazz or fusion jazz or maybe just elevator musicians.

Neither of these two would show up at a venue I would attend, and if they did, I would just finish my drink and leave.

And I say this, with all due respect.

I don't think,your hole in wall jazz venue can hold Kenny G concert tho.

[Scott F.]

With all due respect.

<snip> Being from kansas City,  we don't really think of them as real jazz artist. 
More like pop jazz or fusion jazz or maybe just elevator musicians.

<snip>

Really? Not liking his music, sure I'll buy into that, its a personal thing but not considering his music jazz  Now there I gotta say sumthin' (being from the other side of the state in St Louis).

Metheny was born in Lee's Summit. Even the Jazz Museum which is down in the Historic District, states on their website "Kansas City is known throughout the world for its rich jazz heritage. It has produced some of the greatest names in jazz and continues to do so. Names in jazz associated with Kansas City include: Charlie “‘Bird” Parker, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Count Basie, Benny Moten, Mary Lou Williams, Jay McShann, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Bob Brookmeyer, Carmell Jones, Marilyn Maye, Gary Foster, Pat Metheny, Karrin Allyson and Kevin Mahogany."

On the other conversations, when it comes to Pat being jealous of Kenny G because of record sales, I highly doubt that. PM has sold north of 20m records so I certainly doubt he is suffering from the 'struggling Jazz musician syndrome'. Add to it, he's been nominated for 35 Grammy's, taken home 20 of those and is consistantly voted 'Best Of' in one category or another by the readers and critics alike in all the major magazines.

Oh, and if you think PM or PMG is just jazz-lite, you haven't explored his catalog deep enough. He's issued way north of 50 recordings either solo, duets, groups or as a guest. His interpretation of jazz is all over the place. Some, early on are almost jazz lite, some are way the heck "out there" and there's everything in between. I've got just north of 40 of his recordings. There are a number of them I can't listen to for one reason or tuther.

BTW, want to rock your brains out? Buy Imaginary Day and listen to Roots of Coincidence. Great, hard driving Rock with tons of Jazz overtones. It's a must for everyone's collection IMO.

Oh DD, don't forget, Pat Metheny recorded 'This Is Not America' with Bowie....just thought I'd poke at you a little 

geowak, good comparison

[simoon]

Oh, and if you think PM or PMG is just jazz-lite, you haven't explored his catalog deep enough. He's issued way north of 50 recordings either solo, duets, groups or as a guest. His interpretation of jazz is all over the place. Some, early on are almost jazz lite, some are way the heck "out there" and there's everything in between. I've got just north of 40 of his recordings. There are a number of them I can't listen to for one reason or tuther.

Very true.

Anyone that has heard Metheny's recordings with Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman, Dave Holland, Roy Haynes,  Jack DeJohnette, Billy Higgins, Gary Burton, Anthony Braxton, his own band's 'The Way Up', and doesn't consider them 'real jazz', is just closed minded.

[kevin360]

Really? Not liking his music, sure I'll buy into that, its a personal thing but not considering his music jazz  Now there I gotta say sumthin' (being from the other side of the state in St Louis).

On the other conversations, when it comes to Pat being jealous of Kenny G because of record sales, I highly doubt that...

BTW, want to rock your brains out? Buy Imaginary Day and listen to Roots of Coincidence. Great, hard driving Rock with tons of Jazz overtones. It's a must for everyone's collection IMO.

Bingo! Thanks for those well-thought comments. Kenny G does have 17 nominations and a Grammy win to his credit, but I hardly think Pat Metheny feels at all jealous of Kenny's 38M records sold. This 'feud' is over a decade old and Kenny's response was to mention how well his desecration of Satchmo's recording sold. It's funny that he didn't defend the 'art', but simply quoted its sales figures.

For a really rocking experience, try 'Tap: The Book of Angels, Vol 20' - wow, that was something of a surprise! For a mind blowing experience, have a gander at the Orchestrion Project DVD - wow, talk about amazing!

To the best of my knowledge, Pat Metheny doesn't even talk about Kenny G anymore. He's really too busy to worry about what Kenny is doing. He just took a stand on something about which he is passionate. Is that so wrong? It isn't about Louis Armstrong's legacy falling to pieces because of Kenny's vile act, it's simply about respecting the treasure of recordings he left behind.

The comment about wrapping a guitar around Kenny's head was a joke. It wasn't an actual threat. Again, without the proper context, these snippets of conversation get badly distorted. In our copy and paste world, it's getting to the point that these people are going to have to refrain from discussing anything with anyone. Now, that's truly sad.

[Scott F.]

kevin360

Tap really is something different. I sure wasn't expecting that but then again, I wasn't familiar with Zorn. I did just order Upojenie. Again, PM stepping outside the box.

If one thing can be said about PM, it's that he is driven. Back when I was writing for Enjoy The Music I was lucky enough to talk to him one on one for about 30 minutes when The Way Up was released. Being a serious PM fan it was sort of intimidating but extremely cool at the same time. I came away with a totally different respect for the guy. He is unbelievably focused on pushing himself and what he sees as the jazz envelope. Just take a look at Orchestron. I had all the aspirations of publishing that interview but at 30min, my fingers would have fallen off typing all that text.

[BobM]

Good to see some of you others loving Pat's music. I've been a fan of his from the late 70's and have followed him through much of his musical journey, diverse as it is. No, I'm not a completist and have problems with some of his output. But there are others that I consider desert island disks and essential to my listening enjoyment.

Two things very consistent about him, he has authentic jazz roots, and he regularly attempts to reinvent himself and push the envelope. Just an amazingly proficient and prolific musician and composer who has written and played everything from beautiful ballads to straight ahead jazz and swing to poppier songs to the avant garde.

[Vinnie R.]

But maybe we are just snobs and resent his commercial success.

yeah.... Pat pickin' on Kenny is kind of like a high-end audio mfgr. pickin' on Bose.  Some of us are envious of Bose's success and how they convince they mainstream (via marketing) that they are high-end audio, like a lot of people think of Kenny G when they think of jazz (or Yanni when they think of "new age").

[jimdgoulding]

yeah.... Pat pickin' on Kenny is kind of like a high-end audio mfgr. pickin' on Bose.  Some of us are envious of Bose's success and how they convince they mainstream (via marketing) that they are high-end audio, like a lot of people think of Kenny G when they think of jazz (or Yanni when they think of "new age").

My sister-in-law listens to "Yawni".  Her picture could be in the dictionary beside the word Square but not just for this reason.