Kenny g changed the world when he released his first single. The song was a massive, unexpected, out of nowhere hit. Smooth jaz is truly a marketing concept created by radio stations and market researchers to create a form at for kenny g because he was so popular. He didn't know he was going to be asked to sign a wall in front of his high school's alumni during film making. And i'm sure he finds that personally, found that personally threatening. I don't think improvisation has come to be seen as really the hall mark of what think jaz is about. It wasn't always that way. There was a time where perhaps you would have said other things
Love it or hate it, but you've definitely heard it: the so-called "smooth jazz" of saxophonist Kenny G. Filmmaker Penny Lane talks about her documentary, Listening to Kenny G with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. They discuss the pursuit of perfection, the power of vulnerability in art, and why Kenny G is loved by the people and reviled by the critics.