KENNY G TAKING STANCE - OTHER ARTISTS TO FOLLOW?

[cklw800]

All over music news sites on the Internet and in blogs has been talk about Kenny G parting ways with label Arista Records after 25 years because he was tired of recording cover music, which he said he has done since 2002.  All the reports say he's going to Concord Records.  The reports stated that Kenny G said he split after Arista executives refused to allow him to record his own compositions for his next release.  He says he wants to do an album of original material and get back to his roots and explore creative things.  The real clincher in just about all of the reports you can Google is the quote "I think people are tired of cover records and they are hungry for original music."  Forget this is Kenny G for a moment and think of how powerful a statement that is, especially for being a BA host and having sold millions. Are all these current feelings about the music we love filtering down to the artists who make it?  They know their days are numbered on radio or even at their labels if they don't conform, but then airplay for some of them ain't gonna happen anyway because instrumentals are going by the wayside in the format.  Keep in mind that as long as G is on the BA Network he will be backed no matter what he does, but how about our other favorite artists who don't have such an avenue for guaranteed airplay? 

[orange434]

his new latin flavored single from the new album on concord is already on all of the BA stations now.  it has the usual kenny elements to it but it definitely has parts to it (i.e. the latin background vocals in the latter part of the song) that typically the honchos at BA would disapprove of, and if it wasn't for the fact the artist who did the tune was named kenny g, it probably would be in kepler's recycle bin.  so your point is definitely on the money.  good for kenny, if anyone has enough power to maybe get through to BA it would be him.  but like you said, if kenny g does this it's one thing, if lee ritenour does this the album most likely gets banished.

[AnotherCat]

I actually saw a TV ad for the new CD, it was during Fox news channel's election coverage. Totally Hollywood production of course, and the music on the spot was uptempo. I wonder if Concord footed the bill for that spot and that buy or if G did it on his own. When you are charging the fans 25 bucks to have their picture taken with you you probably have money to burn!   

[Nock]

Their are also a couple of Rendezvous artists who have jumped ship to new labels with new projects that I have recently received.  Peak has picked up a few.

Nock

[hieroglyph]

This is an interesting post because I just recently read an interview that he actually did with DownBeat magazine (Yup! you heard me correctly. He hasn't done an interview with them in over 15 years!) He almost echoes those same sentiments in regards of doing cover songs. He doesn't hit that point directly but he did say when discussing about his latest effort "Rhythm & Romance" that he tries to play what he feels. He gave his own artistic touch and creativity into the project which btw 10 of the 12 tracks on his current latin influenced CD was written by him and co-written by his longtime partner Walter Afanasieff. He had some other key things to add in the brief interview that was done by the editor I believe. For those of you that read DownBeat, it's in the First Take section in the March edition.

[SiriusJazz]

I find it very amazing that Kenny G. would even do something original. I'm not being mean, I just have to wonder why the sudden about face (save for his parting with Arista over not wanting to play covers), when he's already hooked up with BA as part of their network, and Kepler has absolutely encouraged artists to do covers because they test well. 

I do hope he's being sincere, the whole idea of covers all over the BA weekly playlist, is just lame.

The new single is really nice, and yes, typical Kenny, but nice.