Kenny G is to bring jazz lovers in Beijing a fabulous performance on the night of March 31.

Kenny G has long been the musician many jazz listeners love to hate. A phenomenally successful instrumentalist whose recordings make the pop charts, Kenny G's sound has been a staple on adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio stations since the mid-'80s, making Kenny G a household name. Kenny G is a fine player with an attractive sound (influenced a bit by Grover Washington, Jr.) who often caresses melodies, putting a lot of emotion into his solos.

Because Kenny G does not improvise much (sticking mostly to predictable melody statements), his music largely falls outside of jazz. However, because Kenny G is listed at the top of "contemporary jazz" charts and is identified with jazz in the minds of the mass public, Kenny G is classified as jazz.

Kenny G started playing professionally with Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1976. Kenny G recorded with Cold, Bold Together (a Seattle-based funk group) and freelanced locally. After graduating from the University of Washington, Kenny G worked with Jeff Lorber Fusion, making two albums with the group.

Soon Kenny G was signed to Arista, recording his debut as a leader in 1982. Kenny G's fourth album, Duotones (which included the very popular Songbird), made him into a star. Soon Kenny G was in demand for guest appearances on recordings of such famous singers as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Natalie Cole. Kenny G's own records have sold remarkably well, particularly Breathless, which has easily topped eight million copies in the U.S.; his total album sales top 30 million copies.

1994's holiday album Miracles and 1996's Moment continued the momentum of his massive commercial success. Kenny G also recorded his own version of the Celine Dion/Titanic smash My Heart Will Go On in 1998, but the following year he released Classics in the Key of G, a collection of jazz standards like Round Midnight and Body Soul, possibly to reclaim some jazz credibility.

Kenny G 2007 China Tour

Date: 7:30pm, March 31, 2007
Location: Beijing Exhibition Theater, Xizhimenwai Dajie, Haidian District
Ticket: RMB 280, 480, 680, 880, 1080, 1280

(China Daily February 26, 2007)