Legendary saxophonist Kenny G recently joined the Piedmont Wind Symphony in concert at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, where he smashed ticket sale records. He also enjoyed a little family time here in the Triad with big brother, Wake Forest University Director of Choral Ensembles and Associate Professor Brian Gorelick.
Kenny Gorelick or Kenny G as he’s been known for decades is a Seattle native where he quickly became a gifted High School tenor sax player in the public schools. He was a college standout at the University of Washington where his jazz band director Roy Cummings saw greatness in him early. Cummings gave Gorelick paying gigs throughout the school year when artists like Sammy Davis Junior came to town and needed a house band.
But according to Kenny’s brother Brian Gorelick, Kenny’s rise from college was less than meteoric. It wasn't until after nine years spent touring the Northwest in a small van, in debt, playing in small venues for less than 100 people that Kenny got his big break. In 1986 Johnny Carson gave him the nod, and Kenny Gorelick became superstar Kenny G literally overnight on the Tonight Show.
The tune he played was Songbird, and Kenny would go on to become the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, with global sales totaling more than 75 million albums.
On Tuesday, December 11, Kenny G smashed another record, here in the Triad. He and his band joined the Piedmont Wind Symphony for an evening of jazz, and music for the holidays. It was the Piedmont Wind Symphony’s 13th annual guest artist series (previous guest artists have included Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick and Arturo Sandoval), and according to PWS Executive Director Cheryl Kingman, Kenny G’s artist series performance received the highest turn out of any of their classical pops concerts with current figures showing nearly 3,000 people in attendence.
Audience members on Tuesday night saw and heard a world-class performer who is clearly in his prime. Kenny G sampled from his iconic Christmas Album Miracles, and performed some of his smooth jazz favorites like Songbird.
He also thrilled the crowd more than once with impossibly difficult flurries of notes on the soprano sax performed over several minutes on one breath while circular breathing. Using that technique in 1997, Kenny G earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone, holding an E-flat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds.
Kenny G and his band were joined often by the Piedmont Wind Symphony in lush arrangements by Winston-Salem’s Pat Tucker and Jay Meechum.
According to PWS Artistic Director Rob Simon, Kenny G was extremely easy to work with, a lot of fun to be around, and that rubbed off on Simon's musicians whom he credits for rising to the occasion. The wind ensemble’s dedication to the concert was not lost on Kenny G himself. He said "It all sounded great", and he particularly enjoyed playing a duet with the PWS's principal bassoonist.
The event was made extra special by another local connection. Kenny G's brother Brian led the Wake Forest University chorus to open the show. It was the first time in their decades-long careers as musicians and educators that the two Gorelicks shared the same concert stage. After the performance both brothers were eager to plan a future project together that will blend chorus, saxophone, and orchestra.
Kenny G’s most recent holiday recording is The Christmas Classic Album released in October 2012 on the Sony Legacy label.
