When I listen to Kenny G I can't hear sax at all -- it's computer or synthesizer playing. He's probably cheating.
He's no more than nice look and hairdress for show biz.
He's no more than nice look and hairdress for show biz.
Contemporary/Smooth Jazz..just overprocessed?
There was a good thread a few days ago titled: "Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?"..worth looking at before responding to this one...
It seems that there is the late night FM "mall" music type of "Smooth Jazz" (a title that makes it sound like mayonnaise)..and then there are many, many highly talented current Jazz artists...that I have still had a hard time enjoying as much as the older "Classic" Jazz performers. Why?
As my son and I were listening to a CD he gave me for Christmas
it became clear what might be a factor. The CD is Terence Blanchard's "Let's Get Lost", which includes vocals by Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson..and others, and what makes this CD less enjoyable than it should be is the amount of reverb/processing that has been done to it. Mr. Blanchard is a superb trumpet player...why screw up his sound with an excessive amount of reverb? Perhaps the why is.. it is more likly to sell? Face it popular music has become more and more electronic/computer/synthetic/processed...it has just grew up with a generation that these companies feel that is how they want their Jazz.
I would love to hear this same album recorded by Doug Sax..or someone else...
It seems that there is the late night FM "mall" music type of "Smooth Jazz" (a title that makes it sound like mayonnaise)..and then there are many, many highly talented current Jazz artists...that I have still had a hard time enjoying as much as the older "Classic" Jazz performers. Why?
As my son and I were listening to a CD he gave me for Christmas
it became clear what might be a factor. The CD is Terence Blanchard's "Let's Get Lost", which includes vocals by Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson..and others, and what makes this CD less enjoyable than it should be is the amount of reverb/processing that has been done to it. Mr. Blanchard is a superb trumpet player...why screw up his sound with an excessive amount of reverb? Perhaps the why is.. it is more likly to sell? Face it popular music has become more and more electronic/computer/synthetic/processed...it has just grew up with a generation that these companies feel that is how they want their Jazz.
I would love to hear this same album recorded by Doug Sax..or someone else...