CD Review: Kenny G - Rhythm & Romance

Kenny G is the artist that jazz critics love to hate and the public has made a rich man. With this album, he aims his soprano sax at romantic Latin tunes that run from the familiar ("Sabor A Ti", "Besame Mucho") to some bossa nova, rumba, tango, boleros and a pretty good salsa tune composed by Kenny G and producer/keyboardist Walter Afanasieff. While he's by no means Gato Barbieri, remember that Barbieri hasn't released an album since 2002 and Kenny G does a pretty darn good job.

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Kenny G gets little respect from jazz critics but the public loves him. And, to his credit, he confesses to always loving the rhythms of Latin music. In fact, most of the numbers on this CD were composed and arranged by Kenny G and Walter Afanasieff.

The album is aptly named Rhythm & Romance; it's full of different Latin rhythms from bossa nova to tango, from rumba to salsa. Its unifying theme is romance, because no matter the rhythm, this album was made to set a mood and to seduce.

There are 2 well-known boleros on the album, Alvaro Cabrillo's "Sabor a Mi" and Consuelo Velazquez' "Besame Mucho". There are also 2 tracks with vocals; an upbeat "Mirame Bailar" featuring Chilean Barbara Munoz and a lush ballad "Es Hora De Decir" with Mexican pop group Camila.

The most interesting numbers on the album are "Tango" with the accordion providing an authentic background, "Salsa Kenny", a track to which you can actually dance and "Peruvian Nights" where a there's just a lot of interesting, unexpected music going on.

If you like 'easy listening' jazz and soprano sax, you'll like this album. If you're serious about your Latin jazz, it's easy to scoff at Rhythm & Romance. But if, after a long day, you want music that's smooth and non-challenging, this CD might be the one you reach for.