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Listening to Kenny G
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Listening to Kenny G
IDFA 2021

Listening to Kenny G

Penny Lane
United States
2021
97 min
European Premiere
Festival history

Is he a musical mastermind or a soulless money machine? Opinions on Kenny G are sharply polarized. Filmmaker Penny Lane wonders why some people get so worked up about this immensely popular saxophonist. In Listening to Kenny G, she allows both sides to speak, and places the lovable artist himself center stage.

Jazz professors and music critics do their best to analyze Kenny G’s easy listening and smooth jazz sound. “A corporate attempt to soothe my nerves,” says one expert. “Musical furniture,” comments another. One thing for sure is it’s not real jazz, because real jazz is much more complex. But that hasn’t prevented Kenny G from becoming the bestselling instrumentalist of all time. Surely all his millions of fans can’t be wrong?

In interviews, it’s mostly Kenny G himself who resolves the bitter conflict between “low” and “high” art with great charm. The artist is endearing, enthusiastic, passionate, and not averse to a touch of self-deprecating humor. He doesn’t need music theory to spellbind his audiences.

Credits
Director
Production
    Gabriel Sedgwick for Spinning Nancy
    Gabriel Sedgwick for Spinning Nancy
Co-production
    Nickolas Hasse
    Nickolas Hasse
Executive producer
Editing
Sound Design
    Jeremy Bloom
    Jeremy Bloom
Sound
    Kevin Peters
    Kevin Peters
World Sales
    HBO Documentary Films
    HBO Documentary Films
Screening copy
    HBO Documentary Films
    HBO Documentary Films

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