My name is Veronicka Thompson Smith, and I reviewed “The Life in the Key of G”, a memoir of a career in music by Kenny G and Philip Lerman. For those who don’t know, Kenny G is a Grammy Award-winning soprano saxophone player, and he has a uniquely American story that may surprise you. A little background—my mom was and still is a huge fan of Kenny G, therefore, I grew up listening to him. I have always considered him to be a musical genius. I even got a chance to see him perform when he came to Waco a few years ago, and it was magical—his warmth and intentional interaction with his fans during and after the show stayed with me.
You get a sense of who he is in the memoir. That warmth, along with some self-deprecation, shine through the book, even as he tells a pretty incredible story. Kenny G grew up as Kenny Gorelick, a Jewish boy from Seattle. Growing up, family was everything to him, but it wasn’t always easy. He talks about growing up in a Jewish household and shares how his parents raised him. His relationship with his mother was complicated, as she was not one to show emotion or outwardly display her love for her children.
His musical beginnings were shaped by the landscape of Seattle, and his descriptions of that time and place were fascinating to me. Kenny G lived through the racial tensions that flared during school, and in Seattle. I enjoyed learning about how he navigated aspects of race. He was a white saxophone player in a Black band at one point, and he played at all-Black jazz clubs in Seattle, a world where he would not normally feel welcome. He also had white bands who wanted him to play for them, telling him he could make much more money playing in white clubs, which was true.
Today, his audiences are racially diverse, and this is something that is not lost on him. He’s proud of performing for diverse audiences and acknowledges how music bridges many divides.
And if you are intrigued by celebrity interactions and name-dropping, but not in a braggadocious way, you will love this memoir. Did you know that Kenny G went on tour with Whitney Houston and opened for her? If there is a famous musician or golfer, chances are Kenny G has some story about playing music with them, meeting them, or playing a round of golf with them. A U.S. President as well.
He also talks about criticism. The term “smooth jazz” was invented in 1987, and even as he came to define the genre, he faced criticism for not being an authentic jazz musician, or being too commercial. But he shares what he learned from that—“you just have to make your own kind of music.”
Even if you aren’t the biggest Kenny G fan in the world, I think everyone might enjoy this book. Life in the Key of G is a witty and warm memoir, and I urge you to give this one a chance.
