Kenny Garrett

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
Kenny Garrett performing in 2013
Background information
Born (1960-10-09) October 9, 1960
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
OccupationsMusician
Instruments
  • Alto saxophone
  • soprano saxophone
  • flute
  • piano
Years active1978–present
Labels
Websitewww.kennygarrett.com

Biography

Kenny Garrett was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 9, 1960.[1] His father was a carpenter who played tenor saxophone as a hobby.[1] Garrett's own career as a saxophonist took off when he joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra, under the leadership of Mercer Ellington, in 1978.[1] Garrett also played and recorded with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw before developing his career as a leader.[1]

In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett, on the CrissCross label.[2] In the year, he became the founding member of Out of the Blue which was produced by Blue Note Records.[3] In 1986, Garrett became a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

He signed to the Warner Bros. Records label, and beginning with Black Hope, in 1992,[1] he recorded eight albums for them.[2] Garrett's music sometimes exhibits Asian influences, an aspect which is especially prevalent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated recording Beyond the Wall.[2]

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.[4]

In 2011, Garrett was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts.[5] Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates.[5]

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.[6] Also in 2012, Grammy nominations for Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories,[4] and Seeds From The Underground received a NAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category.[7] In 2013, Garrett won an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.[8]

Garrett's Pushing the World Away album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category in 2013.[9]

Garrett has been a resident of Glen Ridge, New Jersey.[10]

Honors

Influence

Garrett was described as "The most important alto saxophonist of his generation" by the Washington City Paper[12] and "One of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after Charlie Parker" by The New York Times.[13]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Compilations

As a member

Out of the Blue

Manhattan projects

General Music Project (G. M. Project)
Co-leader with Charnett Moffett

As sideman

With Donald Byrd

With Chick Corea

With Miles Davis

With Roy Haynes

With Freddie Hubbard

With Marcus Miller

With Mulgrew Miller

With Charnett Moffett

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

With Woody Shaw

With Mike Stern

With Jeff "Tain" Watts

With others

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[14]
1997 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[15]
1997 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Jazz Album of the Year[15] Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
1998 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Performance[16] Chick Corea – Remembering Bud Powell
1998 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Performance[16] Songbook
1998 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[17]
1999 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[18]
2002 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album[16] Roy Haynes – Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker
2007 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album[16][19] Beyond the Wall
2009 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[20]
2010 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[21]
2010 Won Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album[16] 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[22]
2013 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album[16] Seeds from the Underground
2013 Nominated Grammy Award Best Improvised Jazz Solo[16] "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[23]
2013 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[24]
2014 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album[16] 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[25]
2019 Won DownBeat Readers Poll Alto Saxophone[26]

Chart positions
Chart Peak
position		 Work
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1989)[27] 20 Prisoner of Love
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1990)[28] 5 African Exchange Student
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1992)[29] 6 Black Hope
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1995)[30] 22 Triology
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1996)[31] 10 Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1997)[32] 7 Songbook
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (1999)[33] 20 Simply Said
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2002)[34] 19 Happy People
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2003)[35] 11 Standard of Language
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2006)[36] 13 Beyond the Wall
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2008)[37] 11 Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2012)[38] 10 Seeds from the Underground
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2013)[39] 6 Pushing the World Away
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2016)[40] 24 Do Your Dance!

References
  1. Skelly, Richard. "Kenny Garrett: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
  2. "Nonesuch Records Beyond the Wall". Nonesuch.com.
  3. "Out of The Blue". Blue Note Records. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  4. "Awards Nominations & Winners". Grammy.com. April 30, 2017.
  5. "Kenny Garrett Addresses Berklee's Largest Graduating Class | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu.
  6. "Soul Train Licensing Info". BET.com.
  7. "Kenny Garrett NAACP Image Award Nomination" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-19.
  8. 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.
  9. "Kenny Garrett". Grammy.com. November 19, 2019.
  10. "The State of Jazz: Meet 40 More Jersey Greats", The Star-Ledger, September 28, 2003, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 27, 2008. Accessed September 15, 2017. "Kenny Garrett -- Glen Ridge resident Garrett is a high-energy alto and soprano saxophonist who has played and/or recorded with Miles Davis, the Mercer Ellington Orchestra, Pharoah Sanders and Out of the Blue."
  11. "2023 NEA Jazz Masters Announced". jazztimes.com. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  12. "Jazz Setlist, May 31-June 8: The Unfestive Alley". Washington City Paper. 31 May 2012.
  13. Ratliff, Ben (August 25, 2013). "A Young Jazz Singer Reminds Her Elders How It Was Done". The New York Times.
  14. "Kenny Garrett 1996 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  15. "Kenny Garrett 1997 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  16. "Kenny Garrett". Recording Academy.
  17. "Kenny Garrett 1998 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  18. "Kenny Garrett 1999 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  19. "Four Nonesuch Albums Nominated for 2006 Grammy Awards". Nonesuch Records. December 6, 2006. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  20. "Kenny Garrett 2009 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  21. "Kenny Garrett 2010 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  22. "Kenny Garrett 2012 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2016-07-30.
  23. "JJA Jazz Awards 2013 Nominees/Winners". Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  24. "Kenny Garrett 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll Win". Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  25. "Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 24, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  26. "Shorter, Salvant and Benson Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners". October 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  27. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1989". Billboard Magazine. 1989. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  28. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1990". Billboard Magazine. 1990. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  29. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1992". Billboard Magazine. 1992. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  30. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1995". Billboard Magazine. 1995. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  31. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1996". Billboard Magazine. 1996. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  32. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1997". Billboard Magazine. 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  33. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1999". Billboard Magazine. 1999. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  34. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2002". Billboard Magazine. 2002. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  35. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2003". Billboard Magazine. 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  36. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2006". Billboard Magazine. 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  37. "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2008". Billboard Magazine. 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  38. "Billboard Jazz Albums, June 25, 2012". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  39. "Billboard Jazz Albums, October 5, 2013". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  40. "Billboard Jazz Albums, July 30, 2016". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
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