Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. Garrett's primary instruments are alto and soprano saxophone and flute. Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.

Biography

Kenny Garrett was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 9, 1960. He attended Mackenzie High School. His father was a carpenter who played tenor saxophone as a hobby. Garrett's own career as a saxophonist took off when he joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra, under the leadership of Mercer Ellington, in 1978. Garrett also played and recorded with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw before developing his career as a leader.

In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett, on the Criss Cross label. In 1986, Garrett became a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

Garrett signed to the Warner Bros. Records label, and beginning with Black Hope in 1992,

300px|thumb|right|Five Peace Band in 2008. From left: [[Christian McBride, John McLaughlin, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Garrett.]]

Garrett joined the "Five Peace Band" of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade/Vinnie Colaiuta around 2008.

In 2011, Garrett was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts. Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates. Also in 2012, Grammy nominations for Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories, In 2013, Garrett won an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.

Garrett's album Pushing the World Away received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category in 2013. He followed with Do Your Dance! (2016), Sounds from the Ancestors (2021) and released his first electronic album, Who Killed AI? (2024), in collaboration with electronic producer/instrumentalist Svoy.

Honors

  • 2011: Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, Commencement Speaker
  • 2023: Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Ministère de la Culture, République de France

Influence

Garrett was described as the "most important alto saxophonist of his generation" by the Washington City Paper and "one of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after [[Charlie Parker|[Charlie] Parker]]" by The New York Times.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

  • Introducing Kenny Garrett (Criss Cross, 1985) – rec. 1984
  • Garrett 5 (Paddle Wheel, 1989) – rec. 1988
  • Prisoner of Love (Atlantic, 1989)
  • African Exchange Student (Atlantic, 1990)
  • Black Hope (Warner Bros., 1992)

<!--*Stars & Stripes Live (Jazz Door, 1994) - live rec. 1993. unofficial-->

  • Triology (Warner Bros., 1995)
  • Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane (Warner Bros., 1996)
  • Songbook (Warner Bros., 1997)
  • Simply Said (Warner Bros., 1999)
  • Happy People (Warner Bros., 2002)
  • Standard of Language (Warner Bros., <!--March-->2003)
  • Beyond the Wall (Nonesuch, 2006)
  • Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium (Mack Avenue, 2008) – live
  • Seeds from the Underground (Mack Avenue, 2012)
  • Pushing the World Away (Mack Avenue, 2013)
  • Do Your Dance! (Mack Avenue, 2016)
  • Sounds from the Ancestors (Mack Avenue, 2021)
  • Who Killed AI? with Svoy (Mack Avenue, 2024)

Compilations

  • Old Folks (West Wind, 1999) with John Scofield, Michael Brecker and David Friesen
  • Casino Lights '99 (Warner Bros., 2000) – live at Montreux Jazz Festival
  • Various artists, Relief: A Benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America's Musicians' Emergency Fund (Mack Avenue, 2021)

As a member

Out of the Blue

  • Out of the Blue (Blue Note, 1985) with Michael Philip Mossman, Ralph Bowen, Harry Pickens, Robert Hurst, and Ralph Peterson, Jr.
  • Inside Track (Blue Note, 1986) with Mossman, Bowen, Pickens, Hurst, and Peterson
  • Live at Mt. Fuji (Blue Note, 1987) with Mossman, Bowen, Pickens, Peterson, and Kenny Davis – live, recorded at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival 1986 at Lake Yamanaka, Japan

Manhattan projects<br />(With Roy Hargrove, Donald Brown, Ira Coleman, and Carl Allen)

  • Dreamboat (Timeless, 1990) – rec. 1989

General Music Project (G. M. Project)<br />(Co-leader with Charnett Moffett)

  • General Music Project (Evidence, 1997) with Charles Moffett and Geri Allen
  • Blacker (Sweet Basil, 1997) with Charles Moffett and Cyrus Chestnut
  • General Music Project II (Evidence, 1998) with Moffett and Chestnut
  • Mr. J.P. (VideoArts, 2001) with Louis Hayes and Carlos McKinney

As sideman

With Donald Byrd

  • 1987: Harlem Blues (Landmark, 1988)
  • 1989: Getting Down to Business (Landmark, 1990)

With Chick Corea

  • Remembering Bud Powell (Stretch, 1997) – Grammy nominated
  • Five Peace Band Live with John McLaughlin (Concord, 2009)[2CD] – Grammy won
  • The Musician (Concord Jazz, 2017)[3CD]

With Miles Davis

  • 1988-89: Amandla (Warner Bros., 1989)
  • 1990: Dingo (Warner Bros., 1991)
  • 1988–91: Live Around the World (Warner Bros., 1996) – live
  • 1991: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (Warner Bros., 1993) – live
  • 1991: Merci Miles! Live at Vienne (Warner, 2021) – live

With Roy Haynes

  • Praise (Dreyfus Jazz, 1998)
  • Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (Dreyfus Jazz, 2001) – Grammy nominated

With Freddie Hubbard

  • Double Take with Woody Shaw (Blue Note, 1985)
  • The Eternal Triangle with Woody Shaw (Blue Note, 1987)
  • Topsy – Standard Book (alfa, 1990) – rec. 1989

With Marcus Miller

  • The Sun Don't Lie (Dreyfus, 1993)
  • Tales (Dreyfus, 1995)
  • Live & More (GRP, 1997)
  • M² (Telarc, 2001)
  • Dreyfus Night in Paris with Michel Petrucciani, Biréli Lagrène, Lenny White (Dreyfus Jazz, <!--January-->2004) – live rec. 1994

<!--* Panther/Live (Jazz Door, 2004) unofficial-->

With Mulgrew Miller

  • Wingspan (Landmark, 1987)
  • Hand in Hand (Novus, 1993) – rec. 1992

With Charnett Moffett

  • Beauty Within (Blue Note, 1989)
  • Evidence (Telarc, 1993)

With Woody Shaw

  • Double Take with Freddie Hubbard (Blue Note, 1985)
  • The Eternal Triangle with Freddie Hubbard (Blue Note, 1987)

With Mike Stern

  • These Times (ESC, 2004)
  • All Over the Place (Heads Up International, 2012) – rec. 2011

With Jeff Tain Watts

  • Citizen Tain (Columbia, 1999)
  • Detained at The Blue Note (Half Note, 2004) – live

With others

  • Geri Allen, The Nurturer (Blue Note, 1991) – rec. 1990
  • Clifton Anderson, Decade (Doxy, 2008)
  • Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Feeling Good (Delos Productions, 1986)
  • Cindy Blackman, Arcane (Muse, 1987) – rec. 1986
  • Terence Blanchard, Romantic Defiance (Columbia, 1995) – rec. 1994
  • Richard Bona, "Painting a Wish" in Munia: The Tale (Verve, 2003)
  • Cameo, Machismo (Atlanta Artists, 1988) – rec. 1987–1988
  • Dennis Chambers, Planet Earth (BHM Productions, 2005)
  • Cyrus Chestnut, A Charlie Brown Christmas (Atlantic, 2000)
  • The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Music is my Mistress (Musicmasters, 1989)
  • Foley, 7 Years Ago ... Directions In Smart-Alec Music (MoJazz, 1993)
  • Guru, Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality (Chrysalis, 1995)
  • Bobby Hutcherson, Skyline (Verve, 1999)
  • Javon Jackson, When The Time Is Right (Blue Note, 1994) - rec. 1993
  • Al Jarreau, Tenderness (Reprise, 1994) - live rec. 1993
  • Rodney Kendrick, The Secrets of Rodney Kendrick (Verve, 1993)
  • Christian McBride, Number Two Express (verve, 1996) - rec. 1995
  • John McLaughlin, Five Peace Band Live (Concord, 2009) – Grammy won
  • Meshell Ndegeocello, The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel (Universal Music, 2005) – rec. 2003
  • Michel Petrucciani, Dreyfus Night in Paris with Marcus Miller, Biréli Lagrène, Lenny White (Dreyfus Jazz, <!--October-->2003) – live rec. 1994
  • Q-Tip, Kamaal the Abstract (Battery, 2009) – rec. 2001
  • Tony Reedus & Urban Relations, People Get Ready (Sweet Basil, 1998)
  • Wallace Roney, Intuition (Muse, 1988)
  • Philippe Saisse, Masques (Verve Forecast, 1995)
  • John Scofield, Works for Me (Verve, 2001) - rec. 2000
  • Woody Shaw, Solid (Muse, 1987) – rec. 1986
  • Patches Stewart, Blow (Koch, 2005)
  • Stephen Scott, The Beautiful Thing (Verve, 1997)
  • Sting, "The Burning Babe" in If on a Winter's Night... (Deutsche Grammophon, 2009)
  • Wayman Tisdale, Power Forward (Motown, 1995)
  • Steve Turre, Rainbow People (HighNote, 2008)
  • Jack Walrath, Master of Suspense (Blue Note, 1987) – rec. 1986–87
  • Cedar Walton, Cedar Walton Plays (Delos, 1986) – rec. 1986
  • Lenny White, Present Tense (Hip Bop, 1995)
  • Larry Willis, My Funny Valentine (Jazz City, 1988)
  • Akiko Yano, "" in Elephant Hotel (Epic, 1994)

Publications

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Result

! Award

! Category

! Work

|-

| 1996

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 1997

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 1997

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Jazz Album of the Year

| Chick Corea – Remembering Bud Powell

|-

| 1998

|

|40th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Award

| Best Jazz Instrumental Performance

|

|-

| 1999

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 2002

|

|Grammy Award

| Best Jazz Instrumental Album

| Beyond the Wall

|-

| 2009

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 2010

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 2010

|

|Grammy Award

| Best Jazz Instrumental Album

|

|-

| 2013 <!--February-->

|

|Grammy Award

| Best Jazz Instrumental Album

|

|-

| 2013

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|-

| 2014

|

|Grammy Award

| Best Jazz Instrumental Album

|

|-

| 2019

|

|DownBeat Readers Poll

| Alto Saxophone

|

|}

Chart positions

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Chart

! Peak<br/>position

! Work

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1989)

| style="text-align:center" |20

| Prisoner of Love

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1990)

| style="text-align:center" |5

| African Exchange Student

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1992)

| style="text-align:center" |6

| Black Hope

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1995)

| style="text-align:center" |22

| Triology

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1996)

| style="text-align:center" |10

| Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1997)

| style="text-align:center" |7

| Songbook

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1999)

| style="text-align:center" |20

| Simply Said

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2002)

| style="text-align:center" |19

| Happy People

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2003)

| style="text-align:center" |11

| Standard of Language

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2006)

| style="text-align:center" |13

| Beyond the Wall

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2008)

| style="text-align:center" |11

| Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2012)

| style="text-align:center" |10

| Seeds from the Underground

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2013)

| style="text-align:center" |6

| Pushing the World Away

|-

| Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2016)

| style="text-align:center" |24

| Do Your Dance!

|-

|}

References

  • Official Site
  • Mack Avenue Artist Page
  • NEA Jazz Masters: Kenny Garrett (2023) on YouTube