The point is that people who listen to Kenny G think they`re listening to jazz when really they are listening to crap compared to the stuff Parker, Adderly, Young, Hawkins, Gordon, Rollins, Heath, Coltrane, Brecker, Lovano, B. Marsalis, and Getz played. Kenny G is taking an audience and convincing them that he`s playing jazz! Yes, he`s a very talented musician, but what he`s doing with the music is wrong!

kenny G sound sucks

It is about time for this debate to end. I think enough of the positive and negative sides to the kenny g. sound and how to get it...not get it...pay for it...get beat up for just thinking of it....yearn for it.....have been expressed. We all know how to get a kenny g sound now if we want to. Thats great! I dont want to sound like that ever, but still, it is inevitable....I will sound like kenny g sometimes. If you want to be a profi, you gotta be able to immitate G. as well as Getz or Randolph or Stitt or Hodges or Scott or Sanborn or Mobley. Most important though is to develop a special style of ones own. Without it you are lost. Anyways.............If someone began a stress management course for people who hate kenny g.....well, I guess that they would have enough customers. As well, someone could open up a shop selling clip on perm extentions, hair gel and saxophone products and make an equally good financial win. Maybe both in the same shop....(telephone receptionist)"G. hate tharapy/smooth saxophone products. Yes, we have a special this month on re-Laquer jobs on old selmer mark 6 tenors in 6 different shades and 25% off of Kenny G. hate related tension reduction tablets. What can I do for you?" ....

Kenny J., cute. Like your humor

Isn`t one enough, please!

To all of those who say Kenny G sucks:

How many of you have actually taken a soprano sax and tried to play his music? The bottom line is that most of you are jealous that Kenny G is the world`s most famous saxophone player ever. I didn`t say he is the best, because he certainly is not. He is the most popular. There are things about his music that are difficult to play. I graduated from the University of North Texas and studied with the best saxophone professors there. I have spent many years playing both classical and jazz music. If I find some challenge in Kenny G`s music, I`m sure that many others do. If it were so easy, we would all be on tour making millions of dollars. If you don`t like the guy that`s fine, but don`t criticize and insult him unless you can put you money in your mouth, grab a soprano sax and do better than him.

A brazilian sax player has broken the Kenny`s circular breathing record. His name is Hilquias Alves, and he played one note for 1 hour without stoping!

Claudio Henrique
Brazil

When I was 16 (30+years ago) my sax teacher told me that 90% of what comes out the end went in the front. I didn`t believe him and wasted a lot of cash. Truth is if you want a great sound, get it in your head and then long notes and really working on that sound is the only way. All the clever gear can only help improve it, not find it in the first place. Also don`t get fooled by Kenny`s production and echo effects. Took me years to sound like a croos between Dexter and Rollins but I love it now.

In my opinion, it`s all about preferences. Sure, some people like Kenny G, and some don`t - but don`t argue about it! You`re not going to get much in return except maybe a humble apology from the other end... which may probably take you days to convince them.

I like Kenny G`s music myself. I am not listening to it in terms of Jazz, I am listening to it as whether it is good on my standards. He may not be the best, but hey, variaty is key. Opening yourself to different levels of expertise is good; you might learn something new, and also discover how stubborn you were before.

As for a good tone: I personally do not believe that buying expensive gear or gear that match Kenny`s setup will enhance your tone much more. It may help you on your way to a sucessful sound, but not too much. The key is to control the enclosure of your mouth. Practice different notes, play segments of a song, enjoy yourself. You can`t force something like this - it will take time to get a right sound.

I played the Alto saxophone for two months already and have greatly improved over these months. I did not practice extensively, but routinely. My tone and sound greatly improve and I`m even matching up to the tone of 4, 5 years old players at my school.

Time is everything! (And of course, patience)

And about the 1 hour circulated breathing: What some people do for publicity...


Danny

First find your own sound. Kenny G kinda sounds the same after 1 tune, but you got to get inspiration from somewhere.
2nd never ever buy a Monique - they are junk and usally won`t play well through out the whole horn - take from someone who gets stuck trying to make this crap play. Some repairman won`t even touch them.
3rd don`t spend a fortune on equipment, go to a store who will let you try stuff and find what you like before you buy - warning you may still spend a fortune!
4th - practice practice practice

why dont you guys stop dissing musicians, i bet most of you can`t play half as good as him so when you reach that level, then say something

I just started playing soprano after may years on tenor. I think basically you`d better start with good equipment ( especially mouthpiece makes 80% of your sound) and then practice as much as you can to get the best you can from your instrument and yourself . it`s a question of control on air pressure and lips pressure and ,most important thing on soprano, try to imagine the note you are going to produce . it`s not merely a matter of blowing and moving fingers! But why don`t you start listening to Steve Lacy ( the real BEST soprano players ever) instead K.G. ? For example the album "Paris Blues" with Gil Evans , one of the most accessible he produced in his long career .
He has a woderful tone and his music is not only jazz , it`s musical Art! can you say the same about kenny`s music ? come on , it`s just music biz ,although his sound is surely nice .

I can`t believe you none of you guys mentioned the other kenny g!
Kenny Garret!
He`s Awesome!
Or Joshua Redman, Scott Hamiltion.... etc...
My opinion is just skip soprano!
Tenor is the way to go!

I play the alto and tenor saxophone, and I`m really looking forward to playing the soprano saxophone really soon.I don`t know how to produce a Kenny G. sound, but I do know that he uses circular breathing to hold out his notes(like in his C.D. Kenny G. live).I hope that helps you.
Ciao

He produces a good sound