Customer Reviews

At Last...The Duets Album

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I always find it humerous that far less accomplished "musicians" will blast Kenny's success all over the place, and basically rate him with the likes of a middle school wannabe. Bottom line - he is successful, he caters to the "average" listener without the ear fatigue that normally accompanies heavy jazz, he is respected among his peers in the business (as evidenced by his duets), and he repeats what works for his success. To trash his talent and success is to also trash the notable musicians and singers who obviously respect him enough to record with him on this CD. He's made millions, so there is an enormous fan base out there that doesn't care much for the jealous comments by aspiring performers. My advice is to judge for yourself!

If you appreciate great musicians coming together to produce some really listenable music, (and I do mean, over and over without ear fatigue), then this CD is for you! I only hope he doesn't stop here. I hope he comes out with more duet albums in the future. Maybe some Chicago, Rascal Flatts, Peter Cetera, Tower of Power, and any number of other great voices in the business!

My favorite is the remix of "The Way You Move"...nice grooves in there! If I had one complaint, it would be that the songs didn't actually line up in the order on which they were listed on the CD cover. Other than that, it's at the top of my favorites in my library of 3,000+ CDs!

I've never purchased a Kenny G CD before this one, but I must say I'm very surprised at how good this CD sounds. Kenny G.'s saxaphone playing is the singular thread which weaves through this rich tapesty of popular songs, gorgeous voices and clean production. I've played this CD at home, in my car and at work. It works everywhere I go. That's a difficult feat for most CD's.

I'm very impressed by his selection of duet partners, which speaks volumes for his ability to appreciate good music, from many different genres. I'm especially fond of his readings of 'Beautiful' w/Chaka Khan, 'Sorry Is The Hardest Word'w/Richard Marx, 'Music Makes Me
Dance' w/Barbara Streisand and 'Alfie'w/Burt Bacharach.'

I highly recommend this record for ALL lovers of good music!!!

Wow, some cantankerous people listening to this cd. I like it though. It isn't that bad. In fact it's probably nice music when you're trying to cook dinner or just sitting out. I have to say, the most beautiful track is Chaka Khan's "Beatutiful" I know Christina Aguilera's version, I'm sure everyone's heard it, but I will go head to head with anyone who says that CA's version is better. Chaka Khan sang this song like it was written for her and she sang it like she was the only one who had the authority to sing it. And there's also a lot of nice little gems like, "I Like the Way You Move," and "At Last." Come on people, it's not like you're reviewing classsical jazz, this is Smooth Jazz staple and plenty of people obviously like it. Don't let your snootiness and your qualifications as a musician or jazz officianado hinder you from liking this cd. It is nice to listen to. Don't get your Fruit-of-the-loom in a bunch. Enjoy!!!!

I just received Kennys latest CD "Duets" and it must admitt it's "off the Hook" !!!. This is not your daddys Kenny G's record. This thing is really "Funky". "I like the Way you Move" is super slick ( it's much better than the Hidden Beach "unWrapped" arrangement) and loved the "Pick up the Pieces" duet with David Sanborn. This is a great Cd to own. I got my copy along with saxophonist Joe Johnsons "Life of the Party" here at amazon.com and they are both fighting for listening time in my house and car. Pick up Both Cds..quickly!!!!!!

The rest of the disc? Well, it's okay, but nothing special. It's the reason that Kenny G gets such a Michael Bolton-esque weenie-ish reputation.

Now, that said, "Pick Up The Pieces" is AMAZINGLY good.

Yes, it's a cover of The Average White Band's hit from the 70's. I always liked the song. I always thought that if this song didn't make you tap your toes, you didn't have a pulse. I loved AWB's version, and it's hard for a cover to improve on a great original. BUT, surprisingly, Kenny G and David Sanborn blow this away! It's not just toe-tapping time -- I don't think
it's possible to hear this song without breaking out the air-sax, cranking up the volume, and scaring the pets. The intro part that's available on the Amazon preview is enough to get jumping, but that's the slow part that doesn't even begin to warm up the jam. Hot? This song is five-alarm! Complex? I need better speakers to be able to appreciate it all. Pick up the pieces? Yeah, that was the stuff falling off the wall after I blew out the speakers with this cranked up. You've got to hear it to believe it. It just doesn't get any better than this.

I approached this album with some hesitation because too much Kenny G is just that....too much! This album is different though as the duets present a relaxing blend of instrumental and vocal talent presented by Kenny G. and many great singers, both old and new. All do an excellent job. This album is best played after a long day to clear your mind and soothe the nerves. Don't hesitate to buy it.

In the music industry, there exist albums that are hailed by critics as "best of the year" or as "taking R&B/Pop/Alternative/whatever to the next level." After hearing praise like this, I always rush to listen to the album, and do indeed find a few songs that are new and interesting. But without fail, it always seems as if the rest of the album, besides these key songs, is, while perhaps new, simply boring and not worth listening to. I hesitate to use the word "filler" because nobody aims to put filler on an album purposefully, but the production quality of these songs is definitely lower.

Being 21, I'm continually harassed when I say that Kenny G is one of the best artists out there. Why? Every song he performs works. I don't recall one of his albums where I found myself pressing the "Next Track" button because a particular song was horrible. "At last" is no exception to this rule, and everything on this album is expertly performed and produced. I don't have anything against top 100 songs, but try to name one hip-hop album on which you liked every track, or even most of the tracks.

What's more, while some artists provide us with hackneyed remixes that people will listen to just because they liked the original material, I propose that Kenny G in many of the songs on this album has bettered the original performers.

Highly recommended.

Great collaborations with LeAnn Rimes, Richard Marx and Barbra Streisand. The rest of the album is worth the CD purchase too.

Kenny G is excellent in this duets CD. Him along with other greats make for very enjoyable listening.

The sound is always a pleasure and Kenny G is always a masterpiece. Some songs are well done ("Careless wisper" for example), but sometimes can appear a bit boring. I think that another Kenny's job ("Silhouette") was better than this.