mdh studios wrote:
well.....except that free jazz was genuinely nasty a lot of the time...
Not to mention it was often played by posers who were shucking and jiving...who couldn't play a blues in Bb for $hit. Not true of all 'free jazzers' but certainly true of some.
and people openly speculated that its occurrence might bring about the death of jazz (which it didn't, tip of the hat to the rise of cool jazz- thank you Brubeck), and these other guys-
Nah...there were a few idiots who put forth that goofy notion. But the majority of thinking people never believed such nonsense.
I mean, what's wrong with Kenny G and Celine Dion?
Their music is banal, dumbed and watered down "product" marketed for people who want to be anesthisised and don't want to think too hard. Kenny G's braying sacharine sweet tone is one of the worst sounds i can think of!
Technique-wise Kenny definitely knows his stuff, same with Dion.
"Technique" ain't $hit. It's what you do with it that matters. He's selling product...nothing more. And there are a gazillion sax players with better technique AND something to say out there. They just don't have the same platform because they haven't sold out for the almight buck. And "fame"
And their music breathed life into the industry because it was gorgeous and fantastic and people loved it! I think this whole anti-kenny G business got started by a bunch of old fogies who were bitter they never made it big doing their *cutting edge* improv and started complaning, "duhhhh but that's not REAL jazz."
Well, you think Kenny Gorelick's music is "gorgeous". I think it's abominable. I'd venture that the reason for the anti KG sentiment is largely because he sold out and his music lacks any substance, soul, and real depth.
Have you ever read Pat Metheny's infamous rant on Kenny G a few yrs back? If not, you should try to find it if you can.
