Kenny G Discography
Gaby Zenz
Are you sure there was a Jazz Prophets Volume 2 recorded? I was under the impression that Volume 2 never existed and never was recorded. The Volume 1 title was just wishful thinking. But I could be mistaken; I did not research this.
JR Monterose told me they did record a second date, and it was better than the first (musicians often claim their unissued work is better than the material you can hear ). Cuscuna is a HUGE KD fan and the second date was high on his priority list when he got in the ABC vaults over 25 years ago, but he assured me it was lost.
Mike is such a fan he hired KD to play his high school prom. If he says the stuff is rejected (an unissuable), I'd take his word for it. KD had chops problems around this time and Charles Davis's intonation is always a "sometime thing". Everyone else in the band had personality/substance problems - looks like a recipe for a bummer to me.
There was a great thread back at the BNBB where Kevin B went through these one by one after discussing it with MC. There were logical reasons for rejecting these sessions. A couple of years later (this year, before the demise), someone resuscitated this thread and it made interesting reading comparing what came out. In listening to the Lost Sessions (which is not one my favorites), there was good reason for keeping these in the vaults. I think Michael has done a pretty good job in getting many of these out although obviously there may be some more in there. I seem to recall Dan Gould or somebody starting a thread about another Grant Green session that ought to be reissued.
Then you have the 9/13/68 Lee Morgan session. For years, the buzzword was that it should be burned. Then, three tracks show up on The Sixth Sense and they hardly proved to be lighter-fluid worthy. Add in the many excellent tracks on the Andrew Hill Mosaic select that were initially rejected in the BN discographies ('Monkash' and 'Mahoganny', for example, which are fabulous IMHO) and you have a recipe for complete puzzlement, at least on my part.
The rejected/unissued Blue Note sessions situation remains a total mystery to me. I'll spare Chuck Nessa a posting and add the disclaimer that of course, I don't know what I'm talking about, having never worked inside the music biz.
I first heard this track on a Pisces vinyl, with the composer unknown. It sounded like a Timmons piece to me (especially the piano intro). Then, later, I saw it credited to KD and I was puzzled, until I saw that a piece with the same title was on the 3/19 session. I assumed that Cuscuna decided it must be a KD composition because of this.
Well, "it's actually really good" in the sense that these are all fine-or-better players, so their "off days" are going to have a resonance that lesser players' "good days" would lack. So if you wanna go there with it, yeah, sure.
But trust me - KDs chops falter rather dramatically rather quickly, Davis' pitch is at least as "personal" as it's ever been, and the whole thing pretty much turns into a Grant Green session with "troublesome" horns about halfway through. Grant sounds just fine, but when did he ever not, at least in those days?
If you get it for free, enjoy it for what it is. But if you'd paid good money for it, you'd feel a little bit screwed. MC's decision is a sound one, but hey - that's what all this underground shit is for.
Concerned about those who are joining unissued/rejected together in this thread. In the case of classic Blue Note, important to differentiate between "rejected" and "unissued". Very clearly done in the Ruppli Blue Note discography (and I'm sure the Lord, which I've never seen). Some amazing music was "unissued" for various reasons having to do with the marketplace. 'Jacknife' is an awesome album, remained reissued for 10+ years. As explained well by Chuck and others, "rejected" means deemed not worthy of release. One other famous "rejected" session that saw the light of day 35 years later was 'The Kicker' by Bobby Hutcherson, his first as a leader for BN.. Recorded with the same personnel as Grant Green's 'Idle Moments'. Sure, it sounds fine, but does anyone want to try to make the argument that it holds a candle to 'Idle Moments' or to Hutcherson's other releases as a leader from that period?
Back to the Well was released on September 2003 by Sanctum Records. The album features guest appearances and collaborations, including a duet with Dolly Parton. It reached No. 38 on the Country charts, indicating Rogers' enduring appeal.
Daytime Friends was released on July 25, 1977 by United Artists Records. Produced by Larry Butler, the album produced two top 10 singles and reached No. 1 on the Country charts. The title track, "Daytime Friends," and "Sweet Music Man" became instant classics in Rogers' discography.
Eyes That See in the Dark was released on September 1983 by RCA Records. Produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, the album includes the chart-topping duet with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream." The album reached No. 6 on the Country charts and highlights Rogers' collaborative success.
Kenny was released on September 1979 by United Artists Records. The album includes hits like "Coward of the County" and "You Decorated My Life." It reached No. 1 on the Country charts and showcases Rogers' continued success in the late '70s.
Kenny Rogers was released on February 1977 by United Artists Group. Produced by Larry Butler, the album includes hits like "Laura (What He's Got That I Ain't Got?)" and "Lucille", the latter becoming one of Rogers' signature songs. The album reached No. 1 on the Country charts and established Rogers as a solo star.
Love Lifted Me was released on February 14, 1976 by United Artists Group. The album, produced by Larry Butler, includes tracks like "Love Lifted Me" and "Homemade Love". While the album didn't produce any charting singles, it marked an early milestone in Rogers' solo career.
Love or Something Like It was released on August 1978 by United Artists Records. Produced by Larry Butler, the album includes tracks like "Love Or Something Like It" and "The Shirt." While the album didn't produce any charting singles, it contributed to Rogers' growing discography.
Love Will Turn You Around was released on August 1982 by Liberty Records. Produced by Kenny Rogers, the album includes the title track and "A Love Song." It reached No. 1 on the Country charts and showcases Rogers' continued success into the '80s.
Share Your Love was released on August 1981 by Liberty Records. Produced by Lionel Richie, the album includes hits like "I Don't Need You" and "Through the Years." It reached No. 1 on the Country charts, further solidifying Rogers' status as a music icon.
The Gambler was released on November 15, 1978 by United Artists Records. Produced by Larry Butler, the album includes the iconic title track, "The Gambler," which not only topped the country charts but also won a Song of the Year Grammy. The album itself reached No. 1 on the Country charts and became one of Rogers' most celebrated works.
The Heart of the Matter was released on September 1985 by RCA Records. The album includes tracks like "Morning Desire" and "Twenty Years Ago." It reached No. 2 on the Country charts and showcases Rogers' enduring popularity in the mid-'80s.
They Don't Make Them Like They Used To was released on May 1986 by RCA Records. The album includes tracks like "Twenty Years Ago" and the title track. While the album didn't produce any charting singles, it adds to Rogers' extensive catalog.
Water & Bridges was released on March 2006 by Capitol Nashville. The album includes tracks like "I Can't Unlove You" and "The Last Ten Years (Superman)." It reached No. 5 on the Country charts and received critical acclaim, highlighting Rogers' continued relevance.
We've Got Tonight was released on January 1983 by Liberty Records. The album includes the hit duet with Sheena Easton, "We've Got Tonight." It reached No. 1 on the Country charts and demonstrates Rogers' versatility as a performer.
Kenny Mason has already carved out his own lane in rap, especially for somebody whose first full album was just released last year. Floating between trap, rock, lo-fi, punk and electronic, Kenny has already shown the ability to adopt many different styles even through his early discography.
The minimalist, acoustic approach fades into the vintage blurry delivery from Kenny. The distorted second verse is written well, but nothing about this one really holds my attention well from start to finish.
Kenny Washington is a jazz legend. The Brooklyn-born, Staten Island-bred drummer has played behind Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Ahmad Jamal, Ronnie Mathews, Lee Konitz, Betty Carter, Johnny Griffin, Clark Terry, George Cables, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Stitt, James Spaulding, Phil Woods, Bill Charlap, Bobby Watson, Curtis Lundy, and Tommy Flanagan, to name a few.
A prolific freelancer with an enormous discography, Washington also has a strong interest in jazz history and has written liner notes for and/or helped prepare classic jazz re-releases by Art Blakey and Count Basie, among others. He has also taught jazz drumming at the New School in New York City and worked as an announcer at the New Jersey jazz radio station WBGO.
Kenny G is easily considered one of the great saxophonists of all time, and one of the most successful instrumentalists. Here, you'll find a complete list of the best Kenny G albums, including pictures of the album covers when available. This Kenny G discography is ranked from best to worst, so the top Kenny G albums can be found at the top of the list. To make it easy for you, we haven't included Kenny G singles, EPs, or compilations, so everything you see here should only be studio albums. If you think the greatest Kenny G album isn't high enough on the list, then be sure to vote for it so it receives the credit it deserves. Make sure you don't just vote for critically acclaimed albums; if you have a favorite Kenny G album, then vote it up, even if it's not necessarily the most popular.
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