Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett | |
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Detroit , Michigan, U.S. | |
Genres | |
Occupations | Musician |
Instruments |
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Years active | 1978–present |
Labels |
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Website | www |
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.
Biography
Kenny Garrett was born in
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.
He signed to the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Five_Peace_Band.jpg/300px-Five_Peace_Band.jpg)
Garrett joined the "
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
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]
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)
- 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 (Blue Note, 1985) with 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: 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)
- 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. 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 |
---|---|---|
Top Jazz Albums (1989)[28]
|
20 | Prisoner of Love |
Top Jazz Albums (1990)[29]
|
5 | African Exchange Student |
Top Jazz Albums (1992)[30]
|
6 | Black Hope |
Top Jazz Albums (1995)[31]
|
22 | Triology |
Top Jazz Albums (1996)[32]
|
10 | Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane |
Top Jazz Albums (1997)[33]
|
7 | Songbook |
Top Jazz Albums (1999)[34]
|
20 | Simply Said |
Top Jazz Albums (2002)[35]
|
19 | Happy People |
Top Jazz Albums (2003)[36]
|
11 | Standard of Language |
Top Jazz Albums (2006)[37]
|
13 | Beyond the Wall
|
Top Jazz Albums (2008)[38]
|
11 | Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium |
Top Jazz Albums (2012)[39]
|
10 | Seeds from the Underground |
Top Jazz Albums (2013)[40]
|
6 | Pushing the World Away |
Top Jazz Albums (2016)[41]
|
24 | Do Your Dance! |
References
- ^ a b c Skelly, Richard. "Kenny Garrett: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett". Arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ a b c "Nonesuch Records Beyond the Wall". Nonesuch.com.
- ^ "Out of The Blue". Blue Note Records. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Awards Nominations & Winners". Grammy.com. April 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Kenny Garrett Addresses Berklee's Largest Graduating Class | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu.
- ^ "Soul Train Licensing Info". BET.com.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett NAACP Image Award Nomination" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-19.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett". Grammy.com. November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Who Killed AI? by Kenny Garrett & Svoy". AllMusic.com. April 12, 2024.
- ^ "2023 NEA Jazz Masters Announced". jazztimes.com. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "Jazz Setlist, May 31-June 8: The Unfestive Alley". Washington City Paper. 31 May 2012.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (August 25, 2013). "A Young Jazz Singer Reminds Her Elders How It Was Done". The New York Times.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 1996 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ a b "Kenny Garrett 1997 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Kenny Garrett". Recording Academy.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 1998 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 1999 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Four Nonesuch Albums Nominated for 2006 Grammy Awards". Nonesuch Records. December 6, 2006. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 2009 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 2010 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 2012 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2016-07-30.
- ^ "JJA Jazz Awards 2013 Nominees/Winners". Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Kenny Garrett 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 24, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Shorter, Salvant and Benson Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1989". Billboard Magazine. 1989. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1990". Billboard Magazine. 1990. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1992". Billboard Magazine. 1992. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1995". Billboard Magazine. 1995. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1996". Billboard Magazine. 1996. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1997". Billboard Magazine. 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1999". Billboard Magazine. 1999. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2002". Billboard Magazine. 2002. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2003". Billboard Magazine. 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2006". Billboard Magazine. 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2008". Billboard Magazine. 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, June 25, 2012". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, October 5, 2013". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, July 30, 2016". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)