Pat Metheny's Tirade Against Kenny G

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:17 am

I can not stand the music of Kenny G but I have no problem with overdubbing on top of dead musicians:

http://www.jazzoasis.com/methenyonkennyg.htm

I think this tirade says more about Pat Metheny than Kenny G. Pat doesn't like the over use of pentatonic scales. I guess we should inform native people all over the world that they are making music the wrong way.

Pat Metheny is full of himself.

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:22 am

Kenny G walks in to an elevator. "Man, this place ROCKS!"

Aw braincell, i don't dig Pat and his non-pentatonic thang (

) much at all, but i dig Ken 1,000 times less.

I think both their approaches are not very tasty, but if Ken crapped on Satchmo - he's got a case to answer. Up before the tribunal!

And anyway - did anyone ever think Ken was playing jazz? Really??

I reckon Ken musta cuckolded the guy or something

Post by **hubird** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:48 am

wayne wrote:Kenny G walks in to an elevator. "Man, this place ROCKS!"

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:56 am

Metheny said G is the only person in this world that he "has no use for"; meaning I guess he is the only person he hates. That seems drastic. There are many people worth hating who did much worse things.

Nobody was forced to listen to it.

Dead people don't exist, so respecting them is ridiculous.

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:19 pm

braincell wrote:
Dead people don't exist, so respecting them is ridiculous.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:42 pm

Dead people don't exist, so respecting them is ridiculous.

Darth Vader doesn't exist but he frightens the shit out of me.

See South Park Imaginationland 1-3

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:19 pm

I just got back from Sydney where I went and played at a wake for a friend/musician/mentor who died last week.

He had asked for music, not speeches. He lives in all of us who he touched, that much is clear.

Zer · Post by **Zer** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:25 pm

Hopefully you dind´t play god tell it on the mountain.....

BingoTheClowno · Post by **BingoTheClowno** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:36 pm

braincell wrote:Metheny said G is the only person in this world that he "has no use for"; meaning I guess he is the only person he hates. That seems drastic. There are many people worth hating who did much worse things.

Nobody was forced to listen to it.

Dead people don't exist, so respecting them is ridiculous.

You are probably refering to this:

Wiki wrote: Guitarist Pat Metheny's criticisms of Kenny G are especially well documented, as first printed on Metheny's own Web site forum in 2000, and archived on Jazz Oasis.com.[23] Drawing Metheny's extreme ire was Kenny G's overdubbing of Louis Armstrong's recording of What a Wonderful World, an act Metheny described as follows:

“ By disrespecting Louis, his legacy and by default, everyone who has ever tried to do something positive with improvised music and what it can be, Kenny G has created a new low point in modern culture — something that we all should be totally embarrassed about. ”
—Pat Metheny, Interview on Jazz Oasis[23]

Metheny criticized G further, saying that the saxophonist had:

“ ...through his unbelievably pretentious and calloused musical decision to embark on this most cynical of musical paths, shit all over the graves of all the musicians past and present who have risked their lives by going out there on the road for years and years developing their own music inspired by the standards of grace that Louis Armstrong brought to every single note he played over an amazing lifetime as a musician. ”
—Pat Metheny, Interview on Jazz Oasis[23]

English guitarist Richard Thompson seconded Metheny's thoughts by writing the song "I Agree With Pat Metheny, Kenny's Talents Are Too Teeny". Among the song's pointed lyrics are:

A meeting of great minds, how nice
Like Einstein and Sporty Spice
Digitally fused in an abortion
Oh, Kenny fans will doubtless rave
While Satchmo turns inside his grave
Soprano man's bit off more than his portion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_g

(Nevermind I didn't read your link)

I think Metheney is blowing this issue out of proportions. It's just music!

Post by **garyb** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:58 pm

pot vs kettle...

siriusbliss · Post by **siriusbliss** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:38 am

I personally love Metheny. Have analyzed his use of penta and other modes, and so on.

Never considered Kenny G anything other than someone laughing all the way to the bank by playing everything in the same key.

Metheny's whole rant is funny.

Whatever...

Greg

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:27 am

I think that if a musician goes further than a rational criticism of what he doesn't like and why of another one, well that's not a demonstration of great taste.

Personally I find Metheney too cold and formalist for my tastes, he leaves me totally unimpressed. His more commercial stuff has the same effect on me of shopping centers muzak, some like predictability, I don't. I hate shopping centers too.

I've never heard (recognizing him) Kenny G though.

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:02 am

gary & alfonso, i believe it is as you say

Nestor may disagree, though

siriusbliss · Post by **siriusbliss** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:07 am

Then I guess I'm just a Muzak kinda guy.

Greg

Post by **garyb** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:20 pm

there's nothing wrong with liking that music.

Post by **hubird** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:24 pm

as long as I'm allowed to hate it

siriusbliss · Post by **siriusbliss** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:50 pm

I blame it on my Mom listening to 'easy listening' music on early FM radio while I was still in the womb