Joy Of Sax Paying Little Mind To Critics’ Wrath, Fans Of Kenny G Never Sway

The joke making the rounds on the Internet goes like this:

How does a Kenny G concert end?

With, “Excuse me, sir. Wake up, the concert’s over.”

Somewhere, music critics are laughing. For they love to dis the G-Man.

They call his music fluff. They call it trite. Some say he is a disgrace to the saxophone.

And that’s when they’re feeling generous.

It is likely, however, that the hordes of Kenny G fans who made this Seattle saxophone player the megastar he is will not find this joke particularly funny.

They have heard the cracks and jabs before. And still, they don’t give a hoot what the naysayers say.

They adore Kenny G and they adore his smoothly romantic saxophone style in all its easy-listening splendor.

Just ask the thousands of fans who have purchased tickets to Mr. G’s concert at the Spokane Arena Monday.

They forked over some $30 because they want a reprieve from the onslaught of wailing guitars and pounding drums that seem eternally in vogue.

They want mood music - “good mood” music at that. The kind that makes them think of candlelight dinners and strolls in the moonlight.

The kind piped in over elevator and shopping mall sound systems.

Kenny G - as in Gorelick - took up the saxophone as a child after hearing the instrument played by a soloist on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He learned alto sax and tenor sax, but it was the soprano sax that eventually became his instrument of choice.

Kenny was just 17 when he landed his first professional job as a soloist in Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. He later attended the University of Washington, where he graduated at the top of his class.

In the early 1980s, he signed with Arista Records, releasing a self-titled debut. Although it was followed by two albums, “G-Force” and “Gravity,” it wasn’t until “Duotones” was released in 1986 that Kenny G truly supped at the fountain of fame.

“Duotones” reached No. 6 on the Billboard pop chart while the single “Songbird” flew to No. 4.

Suddenly, the G-Man was a pop star without having to sing a lick. And suddenly, his decidedly unprovocative style was drawing as much flak as it was fans.

Critics and jazz purists alike say his mushily mellow instrumentals are little more than over-hyped background pablum.

Sure, there are redeeming qualities. Beauty yes. Passion - yes. But soul? No way.

And that soprano sax. Well, sometimes it sounds so darn whiny.

In the end, however, it appears a good many people are ignoring the critics. The curly-maned one certainly has no shortage of fans.

Indeed, Kenny G has brought the sax - and jazz - to a much wider audience than it appreciated before.

His nine albums have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. He made the Recording Industry Association of America’s list of 25 Top Selling Artists of All Time.

His latest album, “The Moment,” remains on Billboard’s list of top 200 albums after 34 weeks. And his Latin-flavored single, “Havana,” recently cha-cha-ed its way to the top of the Hot Dance Music list.

Armed with such ammunition, fans say Kenny G is merely “persecuted for his genius.”

Genius or snoozer, G has made millions from the sound the critics so love to hate. (Note the lake-side mansion he recently moved into.)

Can you hear it? It sounds like the G-Man is getting the last laugh - all the way to the bank.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Kenny G will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Spokane Arena. Tickets are $35 and $29, available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.