[I] really wanted to see if I could explore the vibe of these really old classic jazz standards, which have more complex chords, they’re more jazz chords. They’re not the easier pop chords that I’ve used in the past—and not because I label them that, I just don’t know how else to describe them. But let’s just say, there are just certain chords that are just less complicated. And I didn’t make that choice, it’s just that’s the way I wrote my songs. This one I really wanted to go into the more complicated jazz chords for the songs, but I also wanted to make up the melodies myself. So, I wanted to do what we call the old standards but I wanted to do them with brand new songs. So, that’s why I call it New Standards. I’m trying to capture the romance, the complexity, the sophistication of those old jazz ballads but I wanted to do it with my melodies and playing the structure of the song my way. So, that was the whole idea.
New Standards is the eighteenth studio album by American soft jazz saxophonist Kenny G, released on December 3, 2021, through Concord.
Reception
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Matt Collar writing that "Kenny G wryly inserts himself into the pantheon of American Popular Songbook composers performing and writing songs that feel as if they were written during the heyday of traditional pop in the '50s and '60s", featuring "hushed and intimate ballads with just enough R&B keyboard, bass, and guitar textures to keep things contemporary" that "capture[s] the sound of traditional pop".[1] Sebastian Scotney of The Arts Desk rated this album 1 out of 5 stars, writing that Kenny G's improvisation shows "sameness" and this music is inferior to jazz giants like Stan Getz.[3] In DownBeat, John McDonough gave New Standards 3 out of 5 stars, writing that this music has the "restful sensibility of the sound of" 1950s and 1960s jazz, continuing that "there is really nothing to dislike or deride about New Standards".[4] Writing for PopMatters, Will Layman took the opportunity to listen to this album and watch the documentary Listening to Kenny G to discuss superficial art, characterizing this as "innocuous background music" and the album features "performances [that] are devoid of swing, polyrhythm, jazz harmony, communication among bandmates in the moment, the individual daring of improvisation, and interaction with music history".[5]
Track listing
"Emeline" (Kenny G and Sam Hirsh) – 3:40
"Only You" (Walter Afanasieff, Kenny G, and Sam Hirsh) – 5:50
"Paris by Night" (Afanasieff, Kenny G, and Hirsh) – 5:30
"Rendezvous" (Afanasieff, Kenny G, and Hirsh) – 6:19
"Legacy" (Kenny G and Randy Waldman) – 3:56
"Anthem" (Kenny G and Hirsh) – 4:32
"Blue Skies" (Kenny G and Waldman) – 4:48
"Milestones" (Kenny G and Hirsh) – 4:42
"Two of a Kind" (Kenny G) – 5:49
"Moonlight" (Walter Afanasieff and Kenny G) – 6:00
Daniel Bejarano – drums on "Legacy" and "Two of a Kind"
Carlitos Del Puerto – bass on "Only You", "Blue Skies", and "Legacy"
Stephen Erdody – cello on "Anthem"
Sam Hirsh – piano on "Emmeline", "Paris by Night", "Rendezvous", "Anthem", "Milestones", "Two of a Kind", and "Waltz in Blue"
Larry Koonse – guitar on "Only You" and "Blue Skies"
Nate Light – bass on "Emeline", "Paris by Night", "Rendezvous", "Anthem", "Milestones", "Two of a Kind", and "Waltz in Blue"
Rick Montalbano – drums on "Emmeline", "Anthem", "Milestones", and "Waltz in Blue"
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards on "Only You", "Paris by Night", "Rendezvous", "Anthem", "Blue Skies", "Milestones", "Two of a Kind", and "Waltz in Blue"
Ron Powell – percussion "Only You", "Paris by Night", "Rendezvous", "Legacy", "Anthem", "Blue Skies", "Milestones", "Two of a Kind", and "Waltz in Blue"
