The Concert
If you want my honest opinion, I think Kenny G gets a bad rap. For goodness' sake, the man once played the same note (E-flat, for the record) on a saxophone for 45 minutes and 47 seconds. Admit it: if you had that kind of power, you'd use it for evil. I know I would. Like, you know those spirometry tests they make you do at the doctor's office? The ones that test lung capacity? I would totally blow my doctor's mind and maybe even break the machine the next time he made me do one of those. You know you would, too.
But no, Kenny G uses his powers for good, and in my book that makes him a hero. He's used his powers to help the environment, for example. Think about how much play The Weather Channel has gotten out of that one Kenny G CD they bought in 1987. If only he had put out a CD with that much repeat play value in 2008, the Weather Channel might have had extra money in their budget to keep Forecast Earth on the air. I really liked that show.
He also allows boring middle-aged people to say, with a straight face, "I really like jazz music." And every one of those boring middle-aged people is in attendance for Kenny G: An Evening of Rhythm & Romance -- a disc that proves once and for all that Kenny G is as good at nodding and winking as he is at holding his breath. The dude's talents are limitless.
The Picture
Not that anyone is going to obsess over the video presentation of any concert (unless it's Shakira or something), but for the most part this one looks quite good. Colors are solid and well saturated. Black levels are a little uneven, but contrasts are for the most part quite solid. Video noise is only noticeable in a few shots, notably when lights hit the camera directly. Detail in the AVC 1080i transfer is also fine, with no softness or smearing resulting from noise reduction; every curl on Kenny's head is rendered flawlessly. There is a bit of moiré here and there, though, mostly in the tight print of Mr. G's shirt, and if you look closely enough you'll see a bit of aliasing in a few shots. But again, on the whole, it's a perfectly respectable presentation. If you squint, it's nearly perfect.
The Sound
The disc offers up two significantly different mixes: a 2.0 PCM mix and a 5.1 track encoded in both old-school Dolby Digital and DTS-HD Master Audio. The DTS-HD Master Audio track offers up a pleasant enough audio experience. Crowd noise is mixed convincingly in the rear channels, and the instruments are balanced across the front with oodles of oomph, pop, and sparkle. There's plenty of bottom end, and the midrange is rich and soothing.
I have to admit, though, I like the PCM 2.0 mix a bit better, especially when played through Pro Logic II. The high end is significantly crisper, and the mix is a bit more cohesive and natural on the whole. There are certainly places where the discrete nature of the 5.1 mix gives it the advantage in terms of instrument placement or what have you, but the PCM 2.0 sounds more tonally balanced to these ears, with a better mix of bass, mids, and treble, especially in the stunt duet between Kenny G and Louis Armstrong toward the end of the show.
The Extras
To kick off the bountiful extras on this release, Kenny G himself spends two minutes and 42 seconds Introducing the Show, speaking mostly about how he's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it people like him. He also credits himself with the invention of smooth jazz and tells a funny story about how he played the wrong song on purpose on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That rascally rebel.
Next up is a thirteen-minute Interview in which Mr. G displays another of his amazing superpowers: as it turns out, he can read interview questions printed on your TV. No joke. The only person speaking here is Kenny G. There's no one asking him the questions. They show up on your TV, and he answers them. Or answered them, I should say. Let's not forget the fact that the questions are appearing on your TV in the future, and he's answering them in the past! Time travel! It's spooky, I tell you. The man is a national treasure.
Earlier in the Morning Montage runs 5:40 and features lots of cool shots of boats. Some guy beats the same piano key over and over again. There's some random talking and some rehearsal footage. If it were in French it would have won a short film award by now.
There are also several bonus Christmas tracks from the concert -- "Deck the Halls/12 Days of Christmas," "Dreaming of a White Christmas," and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" -- presented in PCM 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Plain Jane DTS 5.1.
The Bonus Features section wraps up with some rehearsal footage of "Deck the Halls" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."
Final Thoughts
My only major complaint with this release is its title. There really isn't a lot in the way of rhythm, and I didn't see a bit of romance, with the exception of one older dude in the audience who swoons every time Kenny G winks at him. And that really just doesn't do it for me. Sorry.
Product Details
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