Vol. 14 No. 1 (2023)
Articles

Revisiting Kenny G (Colloquy): Kenny G and the Ignorance of Whiteness

Kelsey Klotz
University of Maryland
Bio

Published 2023-05-30

How to Cite

Klotz, K. (2023). Revisiting Kenny G (Colloquy): Kenny G and the Ignorance of Whiteness. Journal of Jazz Studies, 14(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.14713/jjs.v14i1.248

Abstract

Throughout his career, Kenny G has been heralded by some audiences as a jazz icon, even as he portrays ambivalence toward well-recognized jazz histories and is often critiqued by self-described members of jazz communities. By diving deeply into the cringe-worthy moments in which Kenny G’s refusal of jazz knowledge are most evident, Klotz examines Kenny G’s performance of white ignorance as a form of white privilege. The essay closes with a meditation on what exclusion of Kenny G might tell jazz scholars about gender exclusivity and the jazz genre.