I am no musician either but I know bad when I hear it. I had seen and heard Kenny G numerous times on television and found him very difficult to listen to. Kind of like pulling teeth or nails across a chalkboard. Ugh. I loaned my Tina Turner tape to someone and they copped it. Haven't had a chance to replace it. Have a compilation tape of various artists that basically sucks but it does have one Tina tune on it. "I Don't Wanna Fight" I find that song great and the music and instrumentation takes me away. When I listen to the song I am made strong and it gives me courage to face the world and what may come to me. Unfortunately, this is a cassette and I have to wait through various crappy tunes and the one preceding Tina is Kenny G. UGH! Almost like a bowel movement that will not come. Sorry, that is a nursing analogy but it is very accurate. (Don't ever have a meal with nurses unless you have a very strong stomach). I keep waiting for the excitement, the rise, the point where the feelings comes. It never does. I loathe his music and though there may be some who find him great, it is not me. Surprisingly, I did find a tune on the tape that is quite good. It is "weak" by SWV. Had never heard of them, before or since. Goes to show that I miss a lot by being so far out.
Mack ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Pritchard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 6:02 AM Subject: RE: Covers NJC > Mike said > >>Many people would name [Beethoven] as an important composer or as their > favourite composer without knowing much more than the opening motif (is it > sacrilegious to say 'riff' here?) of the 5th symphony, or 'Nessun Dorma'<< > > > Fred replied > >>Or even without knowing that "Nessun Dorma" was composed by Puccini! > (insert > your favorite emoticon here)<< > > Mike now says > Yes, Puccini composed Nessun Dorma, not Beethoven. While writing the mail I > couldn't recall the composer (Verdi? Puccini?) so I included the name of the > singer of the most 'popular' version, i.e Pavarroti, not meaning to suggest > that it was a Beethoven piece. Sorry if I gave this impression. > > Mike said > >>Kenny G may 'technically' be a very good musician (damning with faint > praise!) but lacks something; call it soul, call it feeling, call it what you > want<< > > Fred said > >>Here we differ: Kenny G is *not* a good musician, technically or otherwise > (bad tone, out of tune, poor note choices, arrhythmic feel, bad taste).<< > > Mike now says > Thanks Fred. I said 'may' technically be very good, and 'may' is the operative > word here. As a non-musician I am in no position to judge musicians' ability, > only how they appeal to me or not. I didn't realise he was so bad, though > LOL. > > Fred said > >>However, I think he does have soul, his own version of it at least > (everyone > does), and I think he's sincere. This goes a long way to explain his > popularity.<< > > Mike now says > Here we differ. If he has soul, it is different to what I understand it to > mean. I do not doubt his sincerity. > > Mike said > >>I love Miles Davis and happily accept that there are other, better players > than Miles > but he does it for me.<< > > Fred said > >>There *aren't* better players than Miles ... there are those who may play > faster or higher, but no one, on *any* instrument, plays *music* better than > Miles. Of course, many musicians play music equally as well as Miles, but none > better.<< > > Mike now says > My remarks about being a non-musician apply here too. I have heard many people > say that Miles is an all-time great as an innovator, bandleader, and trumpeter > etcetera but did not possess the best technique (that word again). I am happy > to accept this but for me Miles usually hits all the right notes. Whatever > people say against him doesn't affect how I feel about Miles. Could you > clarify one thing Fred, please? When you say "no one, on *any* instrument, > plays *music* better than Miles" do you say this because Miles was the > greatest musician or because comparisons are unhelpful, invalid, or just plain > stupid? > > Mike said > >>One of my all-time musical highlights was listening to Wayne Shorter and > Herbie Hancock's quartet playing here in BCN in around 1994. They played a > piece without bass or drums, just the two of them, a very slow, tender, > beautiful piece of music which was as perfect as music can get. If I ever > reach that state of bliss again I'll be very happy.<< > > Fred said > >>Mike, if you want to achieve that blissful state again, get hold of their > duo album, "1+1"<< > > Mike now says > Thanks Fred for this information. I put on a T-shirt of the concert the other > day and realised the concert took place in October 1991, not 1994! How time > flies. Nice talking to you, Fred. There's so much to learn here. > > mike > np swordfishtrombones Tom Waits
