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Who played in Kenny G live?

#161
Bruce Lindfield said:
I was talking about what Pat Metheny actually said - he didn't say that anybody "sucked" - here's what he actually said :
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Right, because "spewing his lame-ass, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling, wimped out, ****ed up playing" is the farthest thing from saying he "sucked".
:rolleyes:

Hell, saying he sucked would've been so much kinder.

:D
 
#162
TimWilson said:
Maybe I assumed that most bassists aren't making a comfortable living with their bass - an assumption I stand by - but would jump at the chance to do it, even if it meant a degree of compromise. Would you walk away from your 9-to-5 for a chance to play bass for a living? A GOOD living, touring the world in comfort? Even if it meant playing music that didn't move you?

There's a lot of hours in the day. I'd cheerfully play with a Backstreet Boys reunion if it meant that I could spend the other 20 hours of my day working on MY music. In my expensive hotel suite, on my new portable recording rig, sipping expensive booze and marveling at my wife's new boob job.
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People assume that everyone has the same goals. And it's a pretty bad assumption.
 
#163
Brad Johnson said:
People assume that everyone has the same goals. And it's a pretty bad assumption.
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Well that's correct, but I think Brad what you fail to understand, and what many are trying to tell you is that "smooth jazz" / "muzak" / elevator "music" is not actually music at all. Just as some might perceive pink noise as simple and annoying low level static (which may be technically accurate) it really drowns out background noise to help one think more clearly... to focus. Muzak on the other hand is designed to do the opposite.

Muzak while technically may be a form of music, it is designed to dull the senses. It's made to take you from "If you put me on hold again you dumb b***h I'm going to dismantle this f****ng computer with a f****ng sledge hammer." to "Thank you so much for allowing me to ship this machine back to you so that I may be without the use of a computer for at least two weeks. Now you have a good day."

Or to offset the desire to "Rip my boss' f****ng head off and shoot all my coworkers." to "We're throwing a pizza party on Friday, everyone bring pictures of your children because we love them too." by those who spend large amounts of time pushing paper in nondescript office dwellings.

There are actuary tables that guide you in exactly how much "Songbird" (the most potent form of muzak) is required to offset any level of outrage. Of course some places need 8-10 hours of musak daily to ease the outrage. But as you see, none of this has anything whatsoever to do with jazz music per se.

So whether you love Gorelick or hate him, it really all depends on what side of the line you call home my friend.:smug:
 
#165
IB3K said:
Well that's correct, but I think Brad what you fail to understand, and what many are trying to tell you is that "smooth jazz" / "musak" / elevator "music" is not actually music at all. Just as some might perceive pink noise as simple and annoying low level static (which may be technically accurate) it really drowns out background noise to help one think more clearly... to focus. Musak on the other hand is designed to do the opposite.

Musak while technically may be a form of music, it is designed to dull the senses. It's made to take you from "If you put me on hold again you dumb b***h I'm going to dismantle this f****ng computer with a f****ng sledge hammer." to "Thank you so much for allowing me to ship this machine back to you so that I may be without the use of a computer for at least two weeks. Now you have a good day."

Or to offset the desire to "Rip my boss' f****ng head off and shoot all my coworkers." to "We're throwing a pizza party on Friday, everyone bring pictures of your children because we love them too." by those who spend large amounts of time pushing paper in nondescript office dwellings.

There are actuary tables that guide you in exactly how much "Songbird" (the most potent form of musak) is required to offset any level of outrage. Of course some places need 8-10 hours of musak daily to ease the outrage. But as you see, none of this has anything whatsoever to do with jazz music per se.

So whether you love Gorelick or hate him, it really all depends on what side of the line you call home my friend.:smug:
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I always enjoy the "but it's not music" folks... because they're obviously coming from a very special place.
:D

Almost forgot... I know you spent quite some time on this so... ha ha.
:D
 
#167
bongomania said:
If that had any validity whatsoever, the supposed player haters in this thread would go around hating on every successful musician! Instead we have people saying I like this and this, but not this. So there is no logic in your statement at all.

Again though, there are loads of people on Earth who are music aficionados who understand the music and feel it and have educated views on it who are not themselves gigging musicians. To say only a gigging musician can judge KG's musicianship is like saying only a person actively working as a painter can judge the quality of a painting.

Look, I get it that your point was probably just to squash the thoughtless internet dirt-slinging. If that was your goal, fine, I can respect that, no need to run me back over. But slinging names like you did at anyone who criticizes KG is just as baseless as the opinions you meant to speak on.
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Huh??
 
#168
:help: I understand that there are a lot of "educated" idiots out there that love to pontificate and reverberate (is that a word?) on things they know little to nothing about:help: I just find it amusing that some of the people here that have never played for a living (or played anywhere) seem to think they know better than someone who is on the road playing in front of stadiums full of HAPPY people every night. They are so spiteful and jealous that it's obvious to most. They think they know more of what sells, what the masses want, what's music, what ain't. And the most aggravating part to me is when a working pro comes here to hang out, befriend us, and maybe share some knowledge and help out the young up and comers, they get verbally beat down, spit on, railroaded, and chased out of town. :scowl: I don't know what (real) grudge Pat Methany has against Kenny G, but I'd be willing to bet jealousy is at the root of it. I'd also be willing to bet that more people on this board have heard of, and like, Kenny G's music, than Pat Methaneys. Perhaps thats the real problem. He got lapped by this young whippersnapper that plays elevator muzak, and was ticked off about it. Who knows? Go figgure:bassist:
 
#169
In response to the above post, while I have mercilessly ripped into Kenny G, I actually am civil to Vail whenever he posts. I asked him a few questions in some other posts, and he seems like a nice guy. It's just that I'm not a fan of Kenny G, and I apologize to Vail if my willingness to be honest about how I feel about Kenny G's music causes him any personal hurt. I apologize.
 
#172
Well having dealt with some of the people on the periphery of KG land in Seattle I have only heard good things about what in many people's estimation is a decent guy (the only reason I've stuck a toe into this battle).

It's fine to dislike his music but I draw the line with the idea he is cheating otherwise decent people (though I do have to admit "musical necrophilia" is a pretty good turned phrase by Metheny). People buy what they like, it's not "commercialized debasement". It's life.

But you know what? This argument we're having, it's part of the deal. People thought Ellington wasn't really a musician because it's sacrilege to "orchestrate" jazz. Impossible to call that stuff jazz.

New Orleans Dixieland hated Swing, and they both hated Bop and the lot of them called fusion a massive "dumbing down" to sell records to the masses.

Today's beloved Jaco was thought to be merely a rocker-like Hendrix spotlight stealing wanker...but certainly "not jazz" (Metheny ironically writes about the "oddity" of such thought). But crowds don’t read jazz critics’ rants; they just buy records and concert tickets. Which again is life, she's all about compromises. /rant
 
#174
DougD said:
I don't know what (real) grudge Pat Methany has against Kenny G, but I'd be willing to bet jealousy is at the root of it.
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Well as Jim says - the last part was just wrong - but did you actually read the quote I posted...:confused:

Pat Metheny has written a long and eloquent explanation - I don't know how anybody can be in any doubt who has actually bothered to read all of that...?

Pat Metheny has no need to be jealous of anybody - as I said he has played sold-out gigs every night of the year for decades, dozens of successful albums and has got to play with as many of the Jazz "greats" as anybody could wish for - legends like Ornette Coleman , Jaco, Dave Holland, Chick Corea,Jim Hall ,John Scofield,Derek Bailey etc. etc.


In fact if there is one person in Jazz that people would be jealous of, in terms of success - it would have to be Metheny!! :p
 
#175
Brad Johnson said:
I know you're wrong about that. It's been said many times by many musicians that it pisses them off that they spent x number of years honing their craft and in the meantime Meg White, Kenny G, some punk band, KISS, whatever is making way more money and having way more success while having way less talent than they do.

You've never seen or heard that?
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Well being annoyed and angry is not the same as "jealousy".

I might also be disappointed at the majority's poor taste - but that doesn't mean I am jealous of those who pander to it...:hmm:

I think you are confusing very different emotions!
 
#177
Brad Johnson said:
Right, because "spewing his lame-ass, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling, wimped out, ****ed up playing" is the farthest thing from saying he "sucked".
:rolleyes:

Hell, saying he sucked would've been so much kinder.

:D
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Perhaps, Brad, but it's so much more entertaining.

And major props to Gorelick's own bass player for reopening this Pandora's can of worms.
 
#178
DougD said:
I find it amusing that some people that have never played for a living (or played anywhere) seem to think they know better than someone on the road playing in front of stadiums full of HAPPY people every night. They are so spiteful and jealous that it's obvious to most. They think they know more of what sells, what the masses want, what's music, what ain't... And the most aggravating part is when a working pro comes here to hang out, befriend us, and maybe share some knowledge and help out young up-and-comers, they get verbally beat down, spit on, railroaded, and chased out of town. I'd be willing to bet jealousy is at the root of it.
Click to expand...

Forget Obama and McCain. DougD for President. Well written, bro.;)
 

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