Kenny Garrett


Kenny Garrett 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. During that year, he became the founding member of the ensemble Out of the Blue, which was produced by Blue Note Records. 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, he recorded eight albums for them. His music sometimes exhibits Asian influences, an aspect that is especially prevalent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated recording Beyond the Wall.
File:Five Peace Band.jpg|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. The CD Five Peace Band – Live won a Grammy Award in 2010.
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.
In 2012, Garrett received a Soul Train Music Award nomination for his 2012 studio album Seeds from the Underground in the Best Traditional Jazz Artist/Group category. Also in 2012, Grammy nominations for Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories, and Seeds From The Underground received an NAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category. 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!, Sounds from the Ancestors and released his first electronic album, Who Killed AI?, in collaboration with electronic producer/instrumentalist Svoy.

Honors

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| Parker" by The New York Times.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

  • Introducing Kenny Garrett – rec. 1984
  • Garrett 5 – rec. 1988
  • Prisoner of Love
  • African Exchange Student
  • Black Hope
  • Triology
  • Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
  • Songbook
  • Simply Said
  • Happy People
  • Standard of Language
  • Beyond the Wall
  • Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium – live
  • Seeds from the Underground
  • Pushing the World Away
  • Do Your Dance!
  • Sounds from the Ancestors
  • Who Killed AI? with Svoy
Compilations
Out of the Blue
Manhattan projects

  • Dreamboat – rec. 1989
General Music Project

With Donald Byrd
With Chick Corea
  • Remembering Bud Powell – Grammy nominated
  • Five Peace Band Live with John McLaughlin – Grammy won
  • The Musician
With Miles Davis
  • 1988-89: Amandla
  • 1990: Dingo
  • 1988–91: Live Around the World – live
  • 1991: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux – live
  • 1991: Merci Miles! Live at Vienne – live
With Roy Haynes
  • Praise
  • Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker – Grammy nominated
With Freddie Hubbard
  • Double Take with Woody Shaw
  • The Eternal Triangle with Woody Shaw
  • Topsy – Standard Book – rec. 1989
With Marcus Miller
With Mulgrew Miller
  • Wingspan
  • Hand in Hand – rec. 1992
With Charnett Moffett
  • Beauty Within
  • Evidence
With Woody Shaw
  • Double Take with Freddie Hubbard
  • The Eternal Triangle with Freddie Hubbard
With Mike Stern
  • These Times
  • All Over the Place – rec. 2011
With Jeff Tain Watts
With others

Awards and nominations

Chart positions