KENNY G MAKES MOST OF MUSICAL TALENT

Multi-talented artist to take the stage at the Show Me Center Oct. 13 at 8 p.m.

Versatility has been one of Kenny G's strong suits ever since he opted for musical endeavors rather than a career in accounting.

Upon graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in accounting, Kenny Gorelick was hired by Jeff Lorber to join his popular Portland-based band, the Jeff Lorber Fusion. He spent four years with them, and in the process distinguished himself to the point that Arista Records offered him his own solo deal. This led to the release of Kenny G.

Only a handful of musicians have been able to cross over from jazz to the pop charts. Even fewer have done so with instrumentals. But that is what has made Kenny G the No. 1 instrumentalist of all time.

Kenny G will be at the Show Me Center Oct. 13 at 8 p.m.

When his latest release "Breathless" debuted at No. 9 on Billboard's album chart, Kenny G broke Stan Getz's 30-year record for an instrumental artist remaining in the top 10.

For this, his seventh album, the Seattle native has combined his love of Jazz, rhythm and blues and pop and funk to produce an album that has evolved from an 11-year recording career. He has accumulated sales of over 10 million.

"Breathless", Kenny G's first album in four years, was largely recorded and mixed in his new home studio, Studio G. According to Kenny G, the key to his success is the inspiration he gets while playing at home.

"I look outside and if it is raining, the song will be something that has to do with rain," he said. "When I come in here, it is a safe haven fo rme. It's like an oasis."

"Breathless", a 14-song album, including the debut single "Forever In Love", showcases Kenny's talents on a variety of saxophones along with keyboard and drum programming.

"This album is in my opinion my best work to date and a reflection of the growth and changes that I have made and experienced as a musician and as a human being during the last four years," said Kenny G.

Other trademark instrumentals on the album include "Forever In Love," "Joy Of Life", "Alone", "Morning" and "The Wedding Song", which he wrote and performed at his own wedding last year.

With this album, Kenny G adds Peabo Bryson in "By The Time The Night is Over" and Aaron Neville in "Even If My Heart Would Break" to a distinguished list of vocalists. He has also worked with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, George Benson, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion and Johnny Gill.

His second album, "G Force" was recorded in New York. Shortly thereafter, Kenny G was working on his third album, "Gravity", which mixed vocals and instrumentals. It was here that Kenny G demonstrated his virtuosity on soprano and alto sax, flute and synthesizer, as well as on the lyricon, a wind-activated synthesizer.

With the success of Kenny G's fourth album, the multi-platinum "Duotones", Kenny's career exploded. "It wasn't until "Duotones" that I felt my true voice came out," he said. It was produced on the West Coast where his musical career began.

The blockbuster album set the world on fire and produced the pop hit "Songbird", a song composed and recorded in 1986 for a woman he recent met, now his wife, Lyndie.

"Until Songbird hit, I don't think anyone knew that an instrumental like that could work," said Kenny G. "I had written a song that was similar to that on "Gravity", called `Japan'. That was the way I could write and play if left to do it myself, without any influences."

Kenny G's fifth album was the multi-platinum, self-produced "Silhouette", which produced the smash single of the same name. Along with six Grammy nominations, Kenny G was also named Billboard's Jazz Artist of the Decade, and the No. 1 Instrumentalist in "Rolling Stone's" Readers poll.

Away from the touring and recording studio, the saxophonist, producer, songwriter, and licensed pilot, his favorite hobby, divides time between homes in Seattle and Los Angeles.