BOOK REVIEW — Life In The Key Of G
“You can’t worry about what other people think. You just have to make your own kind of music.”
That’s one of the many quotes from the legendary Kenny G, included in his new, engaging memoir, “Life In The Key of G.” Just like the shows he gives onstage, the man knows how to weave brilliance into the most nontraditional of packages.
Unless you’re attending a gospel concert, you don’t expect to be inspired during a musical performance, but you often are at a Kenny G concert.
Similarly, I didn’t expect to receive life advice while reading a musician’s memoir. But I did, and as it turns out, Kenny G is as much mentor and coach as he is musician. After reading his new memoir, you’ll also think of him as a friend.
During the artist’s standing-room-only concerts, Kenny likes to joke that during his shows, fans have the best sax they’ve ever had. “Life In The Key Of G” is the soothing cigarette and great conversation that you enjoy after great sax.
And guess what? Kenny G’s new book won’t give you lung cancer!
Working with writer Philip Lerman, Kenny takes readers on a dynamic, if sometimes dizzying journey (just like great sax!) from his days as Kenneth Gorelick in Seattle, Washington to the world’s stages as the best selling instrumentalist of all time. He includes anecdotes and glimpses inside of the making of some of his classic, multi-platinum albums, including “Duotones,” “Breathless,” and “Miracles.”
Predictably, we hear Kenny’s thoughts about colleagues and performance partners including Clive Davis, Whitney Houston, and Toni Braxton. During his reflections on his professional liaison with Davis, this writer was struck by Kenny’s vulnerability and candor. Most people in his orbit seem to have trouble admitting to themselves, let alone to others, when they have made a mistake. Kenny’s readers will walk away with a feeling that, if Kenny G can royally screw something up — and trust me, he does — and own up to it, maybe they can, too.
That’s not to say that “Life In The Key Of G” is a tome from someone who is devoid of ego. You have to have a healthy dose of it to become Kenny G, and this legend has some things to say that reveal his hubris, particularly during reflections on other musicians who have tried to emulate him.
But those and other reflections are more the candid, unvarnished thoughts that I, personally, prefer in a memoir, as opposed to diluted comments from someone who is trying too hard not to hurt someone’s feelings.
Like any great performer, Kenny G leaves readers wanting more with the new book. This writer is still scratching his head about the barebones half of a paragraph that Kenny included on what is one of my favorites among his albums, 1996’s “The Moment.” And he never looked better than on the cover of that album, hair and all.
Speaking of hair, Kenny G loves his ‘do almost as much as his fans do! In the new book, Kenny gives his luscious locs plenty of tongue-in-cheek real estate. Since many of his fans have been following him for almost half a century, it’s safe to say that a good chunk of them are middle aged and suffering from follicle envy.
Those unlucky men should steel themselves before reading the new book, as Kenny lets it all hang out as he lets his hair down, and tells you more than enough about his mane.
Readers of the new book will also learn in great detail not just about Kenny’s love of making music, but about his other passions, including golf. In fact, he surprisingly shares that he’d rather win a golf award than a Grammy!
There was one moment in “Life In The Key Of G,” recounted on page 146, when I’d have paid good money for Kenny to have shared more. He writes about having gotten into a vocal skirmish with one of Whitney Houston’s crew, back in the 1990s, backstage before a show.
“Words were said that I won’t repeat here,” Kenny G coyly writes.
Aw, c’mon, Kenny: I thought we were family!
Speaking of family, I was surprised by my emotional reaction to Kenny’s written reflections on his relationship with his father, who died at the age of 98, just a few years ago. I teared up reading Kenny’s take on their loving, supportive relationship. Every man dreams of having that kind of relationship with his dad. I couldn’t help but thank Kenny for sharing a part of his father with the world.
Overall, “Life In The Key Of G” is an enjoyable, relatively quick read that will give fans a little bit more of the star they’ve idolized for decades. It will also give those new to his orbit a roadmap into his artistry and his life.
In the new book, Kenny G writes:
“Getting lost is how you wind up finding things you never thought you’d find.”
Get lost in “Life In The Key Of G,” and you’ll find that that last quote is undeniably true.
“Life In The Key Of G” is available wherever you buy your books.
Connect with freelance writer Michael P Coleman at MichaelPColeman.com.
