Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Be surprised, November 27, 2009
I guess one of the problems of popularity in the music world is the perception that "you've heard it all before". The music of a popular artist gets played so many times it's hard to imagine something fresh. And, in a way, Kenny G added to the problem by putting out a number of albums that skated dangerously close to muzac - pleasant interpretations of old favourites. I hear of many people who disparage his music as "popular", meaning bland. Well, this is the performance to put those misconceptions to rest. Instead of lush instrumentals and schmulty tunes, Kenny hits the stage with a 5-piece jazz ensemble of immense individual talent and blasts out some of the most amazing and creative interpretations of the best in his repertoire. The variety and musicianship impresses on every track. And the cameraderie and natural banter between musicians is a charm. This is not a pop concert. This is a jazz concert for people who love music. But don't get me wrong, Kenny's sweet sax tone and melodic improvisations won't clash with those who usually don't like jazz. Rather, his skill and feeling for the music will introduce many to the beauty of jazz. And for those who thought he was the "Zamfir of the sax" - well, they will be pleasantly surprised.
Note - there are some technical problems with this production. On a few tracks, on the dts HD soundtrack, you can't hear the bass and a lot of the percussion very clearly. This is particularly bad during the debut of his latin numbers where a mic problem picks up extraneous bumps that add very deep, but loud bass intrusions. You won't hear these on an average home theatre system, but if like me, you've gone for state of the art and have a subwoofer that plays into the subsonics, it's an unpleasant distraction. It's a shame the high standard of the show isn't matched by the same attention to the technical side.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A product description, October 6, 2009
This is what the blu-ray contains, just fyi everybody!
"With global album sales in excess of 50 million copies, Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Kenny G is all set to break new ground. `An Evening Of Rhythm & Romance', his first ever performance to be released in the Blu-ray format, is due out early next month when, simultaneously, it will also be available on DVD.
`An Evening of Rhythm & Romance' was filmed late in 2008 at the wonderfully atmospheric Humphreys By The Bay in San Diego when Kenny was in town as part of an extensive tour to promote his most recent studio album, `Rhythm & Romance'. Among the sixteen choice cuts are the Kenny G classics `Havana' and `G-Bop' while unsurprisingly there is also a place for his signature number `Songbird'. Cover versions of James Blunt's `You're Beautiful', Louis Armstrong's `What A Wonderful World' and the Average White Band's `Pick Up The Pieces' are included as part of a collection that for G's plethora of fans will instantly attain `must have' status.
Bonus features for this release include a revealing interview with Kenny and a trio of seasonal tracks. Exclusive to the Blu-ray product are rehearsal takes of two of these Christmas tunes.
`An Evening Of Rhythm & Romance' is due for release on October 6 from Eagle Rock Entertainment."
--Smooth Jazz Therapy
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal Concert BluRay - Must Buy for Music Lovers, November 18, 2009
This is what I've been waiting for since I bought my BluRay player! I've seen Kenny in concert and this disc captures the best of everything. Great crisp picture and the sound is perfectly mixed and what you'd expect from a BluRay concert with options for LPCM Sterio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and my favorite DTS HD Master Audio! If you've never seen him in concert or need something to hold you over until the next one, this is what you need.
In my opinion Kenny G is one of the best live performers and his live music is better than what you'll get on the albums. He incorporates each of his extremely talented band members and gives each of them a chance to showcase their tremendous skills. The percussion solo is the best I've ever heard and Vail Johnson has a tremendous bass solo like nothing else (He also has solo albums available on Amazon). There's so much more than the wonderful soprano saxophone that we all know and love, in many parts it's a group of talented musicians having an all out jam session.
On this disc you get the following:
Home
Silhouette
Havana
Percussion Solo
G-Bop
You're Beautiful
Forever In Love
Rhythym & Romance
Sac-O-Loco
Besame Mucho
What a Wonderful World
Pick Up the Pieces
Bass Solo
Cadenza
Songbird
As well as a bonus interview and the following Christmas Songs:
Deck the Halls
12 Days of Christmas
Dreaming of a White Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
I'm extremely pleased with my purchase!
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