“It’s great to be performing for real live people again!”
There will be no lumps of coal in the stockings of Kenny G’s northern California fans this year.
First, hot on the heels of his beautiful new single, “Emeline,” the best selling instrumentalist of all time is releasing a new album, New Standards, on December 3. The project’s 11 original compositions are simultaneously fresh and reflective, having been inspired by the jazz ballads of the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Please keep this next little tidbit between you and me: New Standards has been in the can for over a year, now. The saxophone player and songwriter told me last year that he’d planned to hold onto the new album until he could hit the road, get back on stage, and share the new music with his fans.
That time, blissfully, has come.
“It’s great to be back performing for real live people again,” Kenny G EXCLUSIVELY enthused. “Live concerts are all about the connection of the artist and the audience, and that’s a feeling that one can’t replicate in the studio.”
Last summer, with COVID-19 vaccines readily available and coronavirus numbers waning, Kenny eased back to northern California with a stellar series of outside concerts.
Now, he’s returning to wine country with a handful of New Years Eve concerts at Blue Note Napa, and he couldn’t be happier about it.
“We had a great time two years ago for New Year’s Eve in Napa at the Blue Note, and we are looking forward to another intimate New Year’s Eve run this year,” Kenny said. “Blue Note Napa is a very special and unique venue. It’s hard to find another place that one can get that up close and personal with their favorite artists.”
I have to rubber stamp that comment from Kenny. If you’re lucky enough to be in the audience during one of his upcoming New Years Eve performances, you’ll walk out feeling that Kenny G and his incredible bandmates are personal friends.
And if you miss him in Napa, you’ll have another chance to catch him on February 16, when Kenny G returns to the Gallo Center in Modesto.
“It’s been awhile since we played the Gallo Center,” Kenny recalls, of the concert where I first experienced his saxophone prowess live. “I remember the last time — it was really a wonderful night and we were welcomed so warmly by the great people of Modesto. We are so looking forward to returning in February for another great show!”
Get tickets now and review COVID-19 guidelines for one of Kenny G’s New Years Eve performances at Blue Note Napa.
Get tickets and review COVID-19 guidelines for Kenny G’s February 16 performance at Modesto’s Gallo Center.
Michael P Coleman is a Sacramento based freelance writer who has his eye on the Pulitzer Prize. Connect with him at michaelpcoleman.com or follow his blog, his IG and his Twitter.
