Synopsis
A humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly one of the most famous living musicians.
Listening to Kenny G
2021 Directed by Penny Lane
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Alternative Title
Music Box: Listening to Kenny G
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If Weird Al Yankovic wasn’t cool, he’d be Kenny G.
Seriously, though: This is a very good documentary profile of a complicated figure. It features extensive interviews with Kenny G, who comes across like a bright, friendly, harmless dude and a talented saxophone player. It also features tons of critics, historians, experts, and DJs who view him with skepticism, if not with outright disdain — and gives them the space to explore why he’s a polarizing figure, and also by a lot of measurements, an extremely popular one. You could show this movie to a Kenny G fan and someone who despises Kenny G, and both could watch and appreciate this film, which seems like something that must have been difficult…
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After years of work on this, I finally had the chance to see Penny Lane’s insightful, funny, fascinating movie on a big screen at DocNYC. Just so stoked to be associated with this in any way. I hope you’ll watch it.
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Absolutely adored this, then tried to listen to an entire Kenny G song and couldn’t. Testament to how well Lane humanizes this guy and his fans. (It’s funny and sort of sweet how the people being interviewed outside his show keep saying “he’s the best selling instrumentalist of all time,” a phrase they’ve probably dropped with friends who can’t believe they listen to this shit.)
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Listening to Kenny G proves that the rewards of a music doc can far transcend the artist. This is not to shit on Kenny G — with his circular breathing technique, sleepy saxophone melodies, and Weird Al-adjacent curly mop, he was an indelible part of the 80s & 90s American zeitgeist. Even today, he remains relevant in the margins — persevering by virtue of a viral, self-deprecating social media presence and timely cameos. Yes, in case you’ve overlooked his myriad appearances, Kenny’s still at it — teaming up with the likes of Warren G, Kanye West, & The Weeknd. But these collaborations are an afterthought of what is easily one of the most fiscally successful careers (by album sales, alone) of all…
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If you think you hate Kenny G...
This will not change your mind! Director Penny Lane has pulled off a neat trick here and created a documentary to serve both fans of Kenny G and his detractors.
The doc starts by introducing a number of jazz historians and professors, who you assume are there to talk about how Kenny G's music is not only "not jazz" but is milquetoast, sterile, corporatized, and uninformed by jazz history. But then she switches the focus to KG... and he proceeds to make all of those points himself! He doesn't use those words, but he admits that he doesn't really like (other people's) music, hasn't studied music theory, builds his recordings with computers and…
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If you ever wondered what was wrong with millennials, the answer is that they were conceived to Kenny G. This documentary tries to take a reasoned approach to a controversial figure. I heard an interview with the director and she said she didn’t like his music OR hate it, but she found it interesting that it divided people so passionately. She interviews a bunch of jazz critics who get their panties in a snit about this guy because he’s “disrespecting tradition and co-opting black culture and why don’t people like jazz anymore and waah waah where’s my bottle of jazz milk” (almost all the jazz critics are white, btw) and then we see a bunch of his defenders saying stuff…
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A portrait of an overachiever as a guy who practiced a lot and got good at stuff and is successful but divisive.
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So many pretentious people in the same documentary lmao.
Good doc about an artist I knew very few about and the surprising birth of the smooth jazz genre of music. It does make elevator rides more bearable. (I'll allow myself 1 joke)
The jazz critics annoyed me at least he did music he loved and put it out there instead of writing crap about it (I know it's ironic here but idk i don't feel like i'm superior to anyone..real dumb type).
He seems a little weird and defensive, i'd probably be after years of being made fun of for your art.
As i can understand dude singlehandedly created the 80's sexy sax sound. Thank you for all these bomb ass sax solos Curly G
Player of the game is this dog who is fucking done with saxophone:
imgur.com/a/v4tqUjw -
Really good documentary that managed to keep me interested even if I am not a jazz fan. The pacing was good and Kenny G was very funny, an entertaining man. I liked the way the information was presented and it helped that some great questions were asked during the interview. I was overall pleased and surprised by this documentary.
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“Why do you love music?”
“I don’t know if I love music that much”A “Jazz” musician famous for holding really long notes that make arena crowds go wild sounds like a very funny comedy sketch but we are blessed enough for it to be our reality.
This is terrific stuff that will please both fans and those that loathe the man with all their being, which is no easy feat. He unapologetically is Kenny G! The Harlem Globetrotters comparison is perfect
