At Last The Duets Album Views

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Smooth jazz icon saxophonist Kenny G delivers his first all-guest-star album with At Last...The Duets Album. Featuring a coterie of big-name artists from the pop music world, including Barbra Streisand, Burt Bacharach, LeAnn Rimes, and others, At Last essentially maximizes the vocal crossover aesthetic prominent on many of G's prior albums. The formula largely works, coming off as a breezy, laid-back concert with G adding soft asides to his guest's vocal performances. To these ends, Brian McKnight reinvigorates Careless Whisper with a quiet storm intensity; Chaka Khan actually betters Christina Aguilera's Beautiful, suffusing it with an infectious gospel/soul vibe; and Earth, Wind / Fire pull a no brainer on OutKast's The Way You Move. Add to this a fairly organic production style that mixes in lush orchestral arrangements, funky organs, and real percussion as well as artists who seem to really enjoy themselves, and you've got one of Kenny G's most pleasing efforts...At Last.

Multi Grammy Award winner Kenny G mixes things up a bit on his 15th album for Arista Records. G, the world's most successful instrumentalist, has been known to include guests on his recordings, but this time out the celebrated saxophonist does an entire album of duets. At Last...The Duets Album pairs the musician with some of music's most recognizable players and singers.

While the vocal guests on the album are exceptional, the brightest moments for G's fans will be the instrumental duels. Arturo Sandoval trades licks with G on the majestic At Last. Each musician punctuates the other's performance. David Sanborn and G double up for an entertaining affaire d'honneur on the springy Pick Up The Pieces. David Benoit tinkles the ivories and G blows along smoothly on the decelerated Don't Know Why. Burt Bacharach joins G on his own composition, Alfie. Other guests on the disc include Barbra Streisand, Earth, Wind W Fire and Yolanda Adams.