Simply Said

Kenny Garrett - Simply Said

Simply Said
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CD Details

Artist: Kenny Garrett
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1999-06-22
Music Label: © Warner Bros. Records Inc., / WEA International
Soundtracks:
  1. G.T.D.S.
  2. Charlie Brown Goes To South Africa
  3. Delta Bali Blues
  4. Conversation With Hutchinson
  5. Words Can't Express
  6. Back Where You Started
  7. Sounds Like Winter
  8. Can I Just Hold Your Hand?
  9. Organized Colors
  10. 3rd Quadrant
  11. Simply Said

Music reviews of Simply Said

Music Review: Depends on what you are looking for....
Rating: 3 Stars

Another reviewer makes the excellent point that you must be careful not to compare a new disc to the same player's past efforts. Point well taken! Players are constantly in motion, pushing the envelope of their own musical identity.

Having said that, this disc was still not as much as I hoped. Certainly a departure from the all out fire of 'Songbook', Garrett explores what I would prefer to call groove-oriented jazz (I have great disdain for the words "jazz-lite").

The writing is excellent, and Garrett's saxophone is dead on in all the tunes. My only regret about this album is that you get the sense that Garrett has made a conscious choice to not "go all out". There are some moments where the energy of his solos build as we have heard him do before, but then he seems to "catch" himself and yank back on the reins. With "3rd Quadrant" the obvious exception, it just sounds like Garrett was trying to color in the lines a little more on this one.

However, it is a testament to Kenny's immense talent that his playing is so wonderful even when it is "restrained". Though the disc lacks some of the intense emotion I've come to love in his playing, there is no doubt that Garrett is still on top of his game. All his tunes are beautifully written and far from the musical "cotton candy" that "jazz-lite" (yuck!) has offered. Nuance and complexity are all here, just subdued a little bit.

So what does all this mean? Well, if you want to hear Garrett in full flight you'll be better served by a purchase of either his 'Songbook' or 'Pursuance' albums. However, if you want great jazz that is easy for the listener to grapple with, yet not sugary-sweet, this is THE album for you. A great mix of artistry and groove.

I unfortunately lean towards the former. But Kenny, if you read this, I hear where you are coming from too... Nice to hear a different side.

More Simply Said free music reviews:
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Description of Simply Said

Simply Said by Kenny Garrett

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.


There's no denying that Kenny Garrett is a tremendous saxophonist, whether on alto or the much less manageable sopranino and soprano. But Garrett established this fact long before this odd mix of tunes. His Triology was a sophisticated, intricate pianoless trio date, and Pursuance was a moving, apt tribute to John Coltrane. So Simply Said isn't about Garrett's talent, and that's too bad. The music's consistently mired in what seems confusion. Does the saxophonist want to be considered an ace smooth-jazzer? Too often, there's only the acoustic band setting--with pianists Shedrick Mitchell or Mulgrew Miller, drummers Chris Dave or Jeff Watts, and even Pat Metheny--to set this apart from synth-enhanced pop jazz. If Garrett envisions this as his smooth jazz record, it's entirely stronger than most music in that genre. But if it's to be considered in light of Garrett's other work, it's a distinct disappointment. The melodies are too simply stated to be memorable, the saxophones too thin and their phrases not even dented with the convolutions Garrett's earlier work hints at. If it's the burning, creative Garrett you're after, this recording is probably going to be a bummer for you. But if you're wondering what this Kenny "G" can add to the smooth mix, then the good truth is Simply Said here. --Andrew Bartlett

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