Jazz Reviews : Kenny G on Sax: Entertainment is the Bottom Line

What is one to make of Kenny G? That he can strut and preen as well as he can improvise? That he sometimes manages to transform the lovely timbres of the soprano saxophone into the whine of a comb on tissue paper? That his live performances sound pretty much like his recorded outings--and vice versa?

The fact that all of the above are true, in one way or another, isn’t the point. What Kenny G is really about is entertainment. And it’s something he does very well indeed.

His Friday night concert at the Universal Amphitheatre, the first of four sold-out programs, was a carefully paced, well-thought-out showcase for his various skills.

Predictably, his saxophone playing--on soprano, alto and tenor--was dominated by his frequently repetitive, but always energetic, blues licks. Showman that he is, however, he used those licks, plus some highly dependable old instrumentalists’ gimmicks, to activate his audience.

Circular breathing--a technique that allows a saxophonist to hold a note almost endlessly--drew predictable cheers; it used to work just as well for the late Harry Carney with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Another G favorite involved setting up simple, riff-like phrases, then repeating them over and over--a technique well known in the ‘40s and ‘50s to the performers with Jazz at the Philharmonic.

G also played the role of the leader to perfection, with a low-key but highly stylish rap with his audience and a generous allocation of solo time to the members of his band--John Raymond on guitar, Vale Johnson on bass, Bruce (Boo Boo) Carter on drums and Ron Powell on percussion.