Kenny Garrett

Not to be confused with Kenny G.

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. His primary instruments are alto and soprano saxophone and flute. Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.

Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett performing in 2013
Background information
Born	(1960-10-09) October 9, 1960 (age 64) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Jazz post-bop jazz fusion
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Alto saxophone Soprano saxophone Flute Piano
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Atlantic Jazz Warner Bros Mack Avenue Criss Cross Jazz
Website	www.kennygarrett.com

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.^[1][2]

In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett, on the CrissCross label.^[3] In the year, he became the founding member of Out of the Blue which was produced by Blue Note Records.^[4] 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,^[1] he recorded eight albums for them.^[3] His music sometimes exhibits Asian influences, an aspect which is especially prevalent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated recording Beyond the Wall.^[3]

Christian McBride, John McLaughlin, Vinnie Colaiuta and Garrett in 2008

Garrett joined the "Five Peace Band" of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride and Brian Blade/Vinnie Colaiuta around 2008.^[1] The CD Five Peace Band – Live won a Grammy Award in 2010.^[5]

In 2011, Garrett was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts.^[6] Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates.^[6]

In 2012, Garrett received a Soul Train Award nomination for his 2012 studio album Seeds from the Underground in the Best Traditional Jazz Artist/Group category.^[7] Also in 2012, Grammy nominations for Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories,^[5] and Seeds From The Underground received an NAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category.^[8] In 2013, Garrett won an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.^[9]

Kenny Garrett's Pushing the World Away album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category in 2013.^[10] 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.^[11]

Honors

• 2011: Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, Commencement Speaker.^[6]
• 2023: NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship^[12]
• 2023: Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Ministère de la Culture, République de France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordre_des_Arts_et_des_Lettres

Influence

Garrett was described as "The most important alto saxophonist of his generation" by the Washington City Paper^[13] and "One of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after Charlie Parker" by The New York Times.^[14]

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)
• 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., 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
• V.A., 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 the same musicians
• Live at Mt. Fuji (Blue Note, 1987) with Michael Philip, Mossman Ralph Bowen, Harry Pickens, Ralph Peterson, Jr. and Kenny Davis – live recorded in Mount Fuji Jazz Festival 1986 at Lake Yamanaka

Manhattan projects

• Dreamboat (Timeless, 1990) with Roy Hargrove, Donald Brown, Ira Coleman, Carl Allen – recorded in 1989

General Music Project (G. M. Project)
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 the same musicians
• 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, 2003) – live rec. 1994

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 Whish" in Munia: The Tale (Verve, 2003)
• Cameo, Machismo (Atlanta Artists, 1988) – rec. 1987–88
• Dennis Chambers, Planet Earth (BHM Productions, 2005)
• 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, 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, "Chinsagu No Hana (てぃんさぐぬ花)" in Elephant Hotel (Epic, 1994)

Publications

• The Kenny Garrett Collection. Artist Transcriptions. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States: Hal Leonard Corp. 2004.
• Kenny Garrett. Jazz Play-Along. Vol. 153. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States: Hal Leonard Corp. 2016.

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category	Work
1996	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[15]
1997	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[16]
1997	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Jazz Album of the Year[16]	Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
1998	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Performance[17]	Chick Corea – Remembering Bud Powell
1998	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Performance[17]	Songbook
1998	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[18]
1999	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[19]
2002	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Album[17]	Roy Haynes – Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker
2007	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Album[17][20]	Beyond the Wall
2009	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[21]
2010	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[22]
2010	Won	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Album[17]	Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band – Five Peace Band Live
2012	Nominated	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Jazz Album	Seeds from the Underground
2012	Nominated	Soul Train Awards	Best Traditional Jazz Artist/Group	Seeds from the Underground
2012	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[23]
2013	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Album[17]	Seeds from the Underground
2013	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Improvised Jazz Solo[17]	"J. Mac" in Seeds from the Underground
2013	Won	Echo Award	Best International Jazz Saxophone Performance	Seeds from the Underground
2013	Nominated	JJA Jazz Awards	Alto Saxophonist of the Year[24]
2013	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[25]
2014	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best Jazz Instrumental Album[17]	Pushing the World Away
2014	Nominated	Soul Train Awards	Best Traditional Jazz Performance	Pushing the World Away
2014	Won	DownBeat Critics Poll	Alto Saxophone
2014	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone
2017	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[26]
2019	Won	DownBeat Readers Poll	Alto Saxophone[27]

Chart positions

Chart	Peak position	Work
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1989)[28]	20	Prisoner of Love
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1990)[29]	5	African Exchange Student
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1992)[30]	6	Black Hope
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1995)[31]	22	Triology
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1996)[32]	10	Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1997)[33]	7	Songbook
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1999)[34]	20	Simply Said
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2002)[35]	19	Happy People
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2003)[36]	11	Standard of Language
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2006)[37]	13	Beyond the Wall
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2008)[38]	11	Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2012)[39]	10	Seeds from the Underground
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2013)[40]	6	Pushing the World Away
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2016)[41]	24	Do Your Dance!

References

1. Skelly, Richard. "Kenny Garrett: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
2. "Kenny Garrett". Arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
3. "Nonesuch Records Beyond the Wall". Nonesuch.com.
4. "Out of The Blue". Blue Note Records. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
5. "Awards Nominations & Winners". Grammy.com. April 30, 2017.
6. "Kenny Garrett Addresses Berklee's Largest Graduating Class | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu.
7. "Soul Train Licensing Info". BET.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020.
8. "Kenny Garrett NAACP Image Award Nomination" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2013.
9. Music, Mack Avenue (April 5, 2013). "Kenny Garrett won the Echo Award for saxophonist of the year! Make sure to pick up "Seeds From the Underground."". Twitter.com.
10. "Kenny Garrett". Grammy.com. November 19, 2019.
11. "Who Killed AI? by Kenny Garrett & Svoy". AllMusic.com. April 12, 2024.
12. "2023 NEA Jazz Masters Announced". jazztimes.com. July 14, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
13. "Jazz Setlist, May 31-June 8: The Unfestive Alley". Washington City Paper. May 31, 2012.
14. Ratliff, Ben (August 25, 2013). "A Young Jazz Singer Reminds Her Elders How It Was Done". The New York Times.
15. "Kenny Garrett 1996 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
16. "Kenny Garrett 1997 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
17. "Kenny Garrett". Recording Academy.
18. "Kenny Garrett 1998 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
19. "Kenny Garrett 1999 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
20. "Four Nonesuch Albums Nominated for 2006 Grammy Awards". Nonesuch Records. December 6, 2006. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
21. "Kenny Garrett 2009 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
22. "Kenny Garrett 2010 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
23. "Kenny Garrett 2012 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on July 30, 2016.
24. "JJA Jazz Awards 2013 Nominees/Winners". Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
25. "Kenny Garrett 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
26. "Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 24, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
27. "Shorter, Salvant and Benson Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
28. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1989". Billboard Magazine. 1989. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
29. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1990". Billboard Magazine. 1990. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
30. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1992". Billboard Magazine. 1992. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
31. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1995". Billboard Magazine. 1995. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
32. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1996". Billboard Magazine. 1996. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
33. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1997". Billboard Magazine. 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
34. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1999". Billboard Magazine. 1999. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
35. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2002". Billboard Magazine. 2002. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
36. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2003". Billboard Magazine. 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
37. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2006". Billboard Magazine. 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
38. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2008". Billboard Magazine. 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
39. "Billboard Jazz Albums, June 25, 2012". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
40. "Billboard Jazz Albums, October 5, 2013". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
41. "Billboard Jazz Albums, July 30, 2016". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2016.

External links

• Official Site
• Mack Avenue Artist Page Archived 2014-07-07 at the Wayback Machine