Kenny G Collection Will Have Personal Notes

Kenny G has released several best-of collections, but an upcoming one will be the first to have the saxophonist’s personal comments attached to each selection. The Essential Kenny G, on Arista/Legacy, is the most extensive collection of his career as it features two CDs and 31 songs.

It’s being released in January to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Kenny’s Duotones CD of 1986. That CD sold more than 5 million copies and is considered his breakthrough project. The first single from that CD, “Songbird,” remains one of Kenny’s most popular and he says in the liner notes that he wrote it as a love letter to Lyndie Benson, a woman Kenny met at a concert two years earlier. They later became man and wife.

The Essential Kenny G will be released on Jan. 24.

The Essential Kenny G

1. Songbird (Kenny G) -5:02
2. Sade (Kenny G) -4:18
3. Slip Of The Tongue (Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden) -4:50
4. Don't Make Me Wait For Love (Featuring Lenny Williams) (Preston Glass, Walter Afanasieff, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:01
5. Silhouette (Kenny G) - 5:27
6. Against Doctors Orders (Kenny G, Preston Glass, Alan Glass) - 4:43
7. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) (Featuring Ellis Hall) (Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua) - 4:07
8. Brazil (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 4:36
9. Theme From Dying Young (James Newton Howard) - 3:58
10. We've Saved The Best For Last (Featuring Smokey Robinson) (Lou Pardini, Dennis Matkosky, Paul Gordon) - 4:18
11. Forever In Love (Kenny G) - 4:57
12. Midnight Motion live (Kenny G) - 8:21
13. By The Time This Night Is Over (Featuring Peabo Bryson) (Michael Bolton, Diane Warren, Andy Goldmark) - 4:22
14. Loving You (Dan Shea, Walter Afanasieff, Kenny G) - 3:17
15. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) - 3:54
16. Sentimental (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 6:34

1. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong with Kenny G) (George David Weiss, Robert Thiele) - 2:59
2. Morning (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 5:14
3. Sister Rose (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 6:12
4. Even If My Heart Would Break (Featuring Aaron Neville) (Franne Golde, Adrian Gurvitz) - 4:58
5. The Moment (Kenny G) - 6:00
6. Summertime (Featuring George Benson) (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dubose Heyward) - 6:43
7. Missing You Now (Michael Bolton featuring Kenny G) (Michael Bolton, Walter Afanasieff, Diane Warren) - 4:34
8. Pick Up The Pieces (Featuring David Sanborn) (Alan Gorrie, Owen McIntyre, Roger Ball, Malcolm Duncan, Robbie McIntosh,
Hamish Stuart) - 4:13
9. My Heart Will Go On (James Horner, Will Jennings) - 4:21
10. Beautiful (Featuring Chaka Khan) (Linda Perry) - 3:43
11. Havana (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 7:20
12. Going Home (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 5:30
13. The Way You Move (Featuring Earth Wind and Fire) (Antwan Patton, Carlton Mahone, Patrick Brown) - 4:08
14. Deck The Halls/The Twelve Days of Christmas Medley (Traditional) - 2:59
15. Auld Lang Syne The Millennium Mix (Traditional) - 7:52