Kenny G: At Last ... The Duets Album

Album Review

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.