Ultimate Kenny G

Performer: Kenny G
Artist: Peabo Bryson; Louis Armstrong; Bebel Gilberto; Chante Moore
Engineer: Steve Shepherd
Producer: Kenny G; Peter Bunetta; Preston Glass; Rick Chudacoff; Walter Afanasieff
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Producers includes: Kenny G, Walter Afanasieff, David Foster, Preston Glass, Peter Bunetta. Recorded between 1986 & 2003. Personnel: Kenny G (soprano saxophone); Lenny Williams , Smokey Robinson (vocals); Walter Afanasieff (keyboards, programming). Audio Mixer: Humberto Gatica. Recording information: Studio G; Wallyworld. Arrangers: Kenny G; Walter Afanasieff. Kenny G had a hits collection in 1997, spanning 17 songs and perfectly capturing the time when the smooth jazz saxophonist was one of the most reliable hitmakers in mainstream pop. Released in 2003, Ultimate Kenny G covers more territory, including two previously unreleased tracks (one being a cover of "My Heart Will Go On"), which does not necessarily mean that it's a superior collection, particularly because the albums he released since 1997 didn't quite qualify as big hits or as his best material. This gives the album a slightly stronger MOR bent -- which, of course, is remarkable, since Kenny G has always traveled in the middle of the road, but the emphasis on covers ("The Girl from Ipanema," "What a Wonderful World," "The Look of Love," "The Wedding Song") emphasizes this strain in his music; plus, the newer numbers are slicker and more polished than before. This is a small matter, since most of the collection is given over to his biggest songs, but it is enough to recommend Greatest Hits over this collection, even if this will likely satisfy the needs of most casual listeners. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine With a lighter-than-air tone and similar arrangements, Kenny G has moved millions of albums with the kind of music that's closer to the easy listening pop of Richard Clayderman than the muscular improvisation of John Coltrane. The ULTIMATE KENNY G culls some of this Seattle native's best bits from his 13 studio albums. Along with best-selling instrumentals like 1986's smash "Songbird," mixes in film music ("My Heart Will Go On," "Theme From Dying Young") and fare with world music nuances ("Havana," "Brazil"), G also dips into the songbooks of Burt Bacharach and Hal David ("The Look of Love") and Antonio Carlos Jobim ("The Girl from Ipanema" featuring Bebel Gilberto). Along with Gilberto, other guest vocalists include Chante Moore (the sensual "One More Time"), Smokey Robinson (a lush "We've Save the Best for Last") and Peabo Bryson (an upbeat "By the Time This Night Is Over"). For die-hard fans, Kenny G also includes the previously released, Japan-only "Jasmine Flower," his studio manipulated Louis Armstrong duet on "What a Wonderful World" and the matrimony minded "The Wedding Song."

Saxophonist Kenny G first gained attention as Kenny Gorelick, a member of second-tier jazz-fusion group the Jeff Lorber Fusion. After going solo, he developed a hyper-slick, instrumental pop sound that featured simple melodies played over gentle beds of jazzy mood music. With the help of clever promotion and marketing from Clive Davis's Arista Records, Kenny G's albums sold millions, and the saxophonist became one of the world's most famous modern instrumentalists. His success caused a great deal of debate in the jazz community, as his sound owed as much to Muzak and easy listening as it did to "serious" jazz.

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