Kenny G

Saxophonist Kenny G stands as a crossover jazz figure whose recordings have dominated the pop, jazz, and R&B charts for more than thirty years. Drawing from artists such as Stan Getz and Grover Washington, Jr., he cultivated a lyrical and emotive approach that built a devoted audience and established him among the highest-selling instrumental performers in history. His first major breakthrough arrived with the 1986 album Duotones, which entered the Top Ten on both the pop and jazz charts while introducing the hit single "Songbird." Wider recognition followed with 1992’s Breathless, which climbed to number two on the Billboard 200, led the jazz charts, and earned the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for the track "Forever in Love." More than ten of his releases have reached number one on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart, among them 2004’s At Last...The Duets, 2010’s Heart and Soul, and 2015’s Brazilian Nights. On 2021’s New Standards he highlighted his songwriting by crafting original material rooted in his admiration for traditional pop standards of the 1950s and 1960s. He returned to a gentle aesthetic with 2023’s Innocence, an orchestral set of lullabies.

Born Kenny Gorelick in 1956, he grew up in Seattle and began studying the alto saxophone at age ten. While pursuing a lifelong interest in golf, he also took private instruction on saxophone and clarinet and performed in his school’s band and orchestra. At seventeen, still a high-school student, he launched his professional career by joining Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. He further recorded with the Seattle funk group Cold, Bold & Together and worked as a local freelance musician while completing an accounting degree at the University of Washington. After graduation he became a member of the Jeff Lorber Fusion, appearing on two albums with the ensemble before departing to pursue a solo path.

In the early 1980s the saxophonist attracted the attention of music executive Clive Davis, who signed him to Arista Records. Around the same period he adopted the professional name Kenny G and issued his self-titled debut album in 1982. The record reached number ten on the jazz charts and opened the door for the follow-up releases G Force in 1983 and Gravity in 1985, both of which entered the top twenty of Billboard’s Jazz chart and also appeared on the Billboard 200. His fourth album, 1986’s Duotones, marked the decisive breakthrough; propelled by the number-four Hot 100 single "Songbird," it topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, reached number six on the Billboard 200, and placed in the top ten of both the Jazz and R&B Albums charts. Numerous guest appearances ensued on projects by Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Natalie Cole. Chart success persisted with the 1986 live album Kenny G Live and 1988’s Silhouette, each of which again led the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and entered the top twenty of the Billboard 200. He expanded into film soundtracks, receiving a Grammy nomination for his contribution to the theme of 1991’s Dying Young and supplying several pieces for the soundtrack of the 1992 Whitney Houston thriller The Bodyguard.

Breathless, released in 1992, achieved another landmark by selling more than eight million copies in the United States and exceeding thirty million worldwide. The album topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and reached number two on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It also yielded the number-eighteen Hot 100 single "Forever in Love," which captured the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. His first holiday project, 1994’s Miracles, and the 1996 album Moment sustained his commercial momentum, both attaining prominent positions on the jazz and pop charts. He later recorded a well-received interpretation of Celine Dion’s Titanic theme "My Heart Will Go On" and applied his distinctive voice to jazz standards such as "'Round Midnight" and "Body and Soul" on 1999’s Classics in the Key of G. That same year he issued a second holiday collection, Faith: A Holiday Album.

The tropical and Latin-inflected album Paradise appeared in 2002 and included guest contributions from Brian McKnight and Chanté Moore. Later that year he released a third holiday set, Wishes, followed by the second greatest-hits package Ultimate Kenny G in 2003. In 2004 he issued At Last...The Duets Album, featuring collaborations with LeAnn Rimes and Chaka Khan; the record headed the contemporary jazz albums chart, as did the 2006 covers collection I’m in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time. Also in 2006 Golf Digest named the dedicated golfer the finest golfer in music, placing him ahead of Vince Gill.

Rhythm and Romance, a Latin-infused project, entered the Billboard 200 at number fourteen in 2008. The R&B-oriented Heart and Soul followed in 2010 and included guest vocals by Robin Thicke and Babyface; a number-one Billboard Jazz album, it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. A joint recording with Rahul Sharma titled Namaste arrived in 2012, and in 2015 Brazilian Nights, his tribute to bossa nova, reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Throughout 2017 he maintained a busy touring schedule, including a limited run of the Breezin’ & Breathless Tour alongside fellow smooth-jazz artist George Benson. In 2019 he appeared on Kanye West’s track "Use This Gospel," which peaked at number thirty-seven on the Hot 100. He resumed solo work with 2021’s New Standards, again composing pieces drawn from the classic standards of the 1950s and 1960s. That year he also contributed to the soundtrack of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and served as the subject of director Penny Lane’s documentary Listening to Kenny G. He returned in 2023 with Innocence, an orchestral collection of lullabies.