Quiet jazz saxophonist Kenny G is back with a new album filled with confidence, originality and idealism, ending an era of playing standard, easy-listening cover tunes.

"I'm now doing what I'm supposed to be doing," Kenny G told The Jakarta Post via telephone from his base in Los Angeles last week.

"I feel something that is really extraordinary," he added.

Born Kenneth Gorelick on June 5, 1956, Kenny's smooth, romantic sax tunes have soothed us in claustrophobic elevators and shopping malls for more than two decades.

He would have to be one of the most well known instrumentalist today: If one does not know of Kenny G, he or she would almost certainly have heard his songs playing somewhere, somehow. They are almost ubiquitous in public places, especially in waiting rooms.

His cover tune hits include "Havana", Silhouette", "Forever in Love", "By the Time This Night Is Over" and "Sentimental"; melodies that delve deep below our consciousness.

But Kenny is obviously no elevator musician. He is a genuine jazz virtuoso.

Despite criticism and anecdotes ascribed to him, he still has the confidence to produce a musically original and high-quality album to please his fans and prove that his sax-playing skill goes far beyond the standard tunes he once covered.

After leaving his long-time record label Arista Record, he joined Concord/Starbucks Entertainment to release his new album, Rhythm & Romance, in which he experiments with Latin music to add more rhythm to his soft ballad melodies.

"You've got to continually try to reinvent yourself. I always thought that my music could have a little bit more rhythm and a little less ballads," he told AP.

For this latest album, Kenny collaborated with a number of Latin musicians including Alex Acuna of Weather Report (drums), Ramon Stagnaro (guitar), John Pena (bass) and Michito Sanchez (percussion).

The album also features two rising Latin female singers: Barbara Munoz in the song "Mirame Bailar" and Camila in "Es Hora De Decir".

Overall, the album, which was produced by Walter Afanasieff, is a blend of Kenny's saxophone style and samba, salsa and bossa nova rhythms.

"I have always loved the rythm of Latin music and wanted to see if my melodies would combine with this rhythm in a way that was different than anything else that I've ever heard," he wrote in the album cover.

He said his collaboration with the Latin musicians allowed his music to grow in ways he had never expected.

Kenny began his career as a saxophone soloist for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1976 at the age of 20; the same time he was studying for a major in accounting.

He then played with the funk band Cold, Bold & Together and became a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion. In 1982, Arista Records president Clive Davis offered him the chance to record a solo album after listening to his rendition of ABBA's "Dancing Queen".

With Davis he released 26 solo albums with global sales reaching a total of 75 million copies, including his all-time best-selling instrumental album, Breathless, which sold more than 15 million copies.

His first Christmas album, Miracles, sold more than 13 million copies, making it the most successful holiday album in the U.S. after Elvis Presley.

Rhythm and Romance marks the end his partnership with the music mogul Davis.

He said he felt "handcuffed" by having to play cover tunes where he couldn't stray far from the melody.

He said Arista insisted he record standard albums such as the 2006 album I'm in the Mood For Love: The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time.

"Unfortunately, I fell into a category with Arista where you can't really do original material any more," he said. "It was tough to convince them that I'm not a Barry Manilow or a Rod Stewart who had tremendous success with their cover tunes ... I really don't think the world was waiting for me to do my instrumental version of that same idea.

"I knew that doing a Latin album of original material was going to be an amazing project ... but Clive and the guys at Arista were not interested at all," he added.

"I said, well I have to do this album so we're going to have to get a friendly divorce."

His career is actually not without controversy, however. His single, "What A Wonderful World" -- an instrumental version of Louis Armstrong's classic recording -- stirred controversy among the jazz community. Many guitarists criticized his bright sound on soprano saxophone and claimed he played out of tune.

Nevertheless, the commercial success he garnered makes that criticism seem insignificant; for he knows people like his music. He is upbeat that his latest album, which no longer relies on catchy cover tunes, will still be loved by his audience.

"It's still got my sound in it. And that's the beauty of it," he told The Jakarta Post.

Kenny G has begun touring to promote Rhythm and Romance in the U.S. and will tour Asia starting with Kuala Lumpur in April, followed by South Korea and China.

Indonesia, according to Kenny, is unfortunately not on the list.

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