Kenny Garrett
Encyclopedia
Kenny Garrett is a Grammy Award
-winning American
post bop jazz
saxophonist
and flautist
who gained fame in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington
Orchestra and of Miles Davis
's band. He has since pursued a critically acclaimed solo career. Most recently he joined a supergroup
of jazz musicians, the Five Peace Band
.
, Michigan
, on October 9, 1960; he is a 1978 graduate of 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
in 1978, then led by Duke's son, Mercer Ellington
. Three years later he played in the Mel Lewis
Orchestra, playing the music of Thad Jones
and also the Dannie Richmond
Quartet, focusing on Charles Mingus
's music.
In 1984, he recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett
, on the CrissCross
label. He then recorded two albums with Atlantic Records
; Prisoner of Love and African Exchange Student. Garrett signed to the Warner Bros. Records
label, and beginning with Black Hope
, in 1992, he has continued to record with them. Among his notable recordings on Warner Bros. are Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane, recorded in 1996, and Songbook, his first album made up entirely of his own compositions, recorded in 1997 and nominated for a Grammy Award. During his career, Garrett has performed and recorded with many jazz greats such as Miles Davis
, Art Blakey
, Joe Henderson
, Freddie Hubbard
, Woody Shaw
, McCoy Tyner
, Pharoah Sanders
, Brian Blade
, Marcus Miller
, Chick Corea
, John McLaughlin
, Herbie Hancock
, Bobby Hutcherson
, Ron Carter
, Elvin Jones
, and Mulgrew Miller
. Garrett's music sometimes exhibits Asian influence, an aspect which is especially prevalent in his 2006 recording, Beyond the Wall.
While Garrett is best known in many circles for the five years he spent playing with Miles Davis during Miles' electric period, he states that he has become accustomed to the association:
"I was in Miles' band for about five years. I think that tag will always be there. That is five years of my life. That's the only musical situation that I was there longer than a year. It was a good five years. I have gotten used to that. Some people became aware of me through Miles and then they would come to my concerts. I think that is part of my history and I am proud of that. I am still trying to carve out my own name and my own music. I just look at it as a part of history and it is going to be there. Every time they mention Kenny Garrett, there will probably be some association with Miles Davis, but at the same time, when they mention Herbie Hancock, they always mention Miles Davis, or Wayne Shorter. You get used to it after a while." (allaboutjazz.com)
Garrett's latest album is Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium, featuring Pharoah Sanders
. It was released on September 23, 2008. On his website, KennyGarrett.com, he states that his current band consists of electric bass and organ.
Garrett performed in a world tour, 2008-2009 with Chick Corea
, John McLaughlin
, Christian McBride
and Brian Blade
/Vinnie Colaiuta
as the "Five Peace Band
". The CD "Five Peace Band - Live" won a GRAMMY Award on January 31, 2010.
On May 7, 2011 Kenny Garrett was presented an Honorary Doctorate in Music Degree from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts. Garrett was the Commencement Speaker. There were 908 graduates - the largest graduating class in Berklee history. The commencement ceremony took place at the Agganis Arena (Boston University). Four thousand people were in attendance.
With Marcus Miller
With Other Artists (these are just a few of the 230+ sideman recordings)
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
post bop jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
who gained fame in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
Orchestra and of Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
's band. He has since pursued a critically acclaimed solo career. Most recently he joined a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
of jazz musicians, the Five Peace Band
Five Peace Band
Five Peace Band is a post bop/jazz fusion quintet featuring Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Vinnie Colaiuta....
.
Biography
Kenny Garrett was born in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, on October 9, 1960; he is a 1978 graduate of Mackenzie High School
Mackenzie High School (Michigan)
Mackenzie High School was a public secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan.-The early years: 1928–1940s :Located on Detroit's west side, David Mackenzie High School was named to honor the innovative educator who had served as principal of Central High School, and as first dean of the...
. 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
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
in 1978, then led by Duke's son, Mercer Ellington
Mercer Ellington
Mercer Kennedy Ellington was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger.Ellington was born in Washington, DC, the son of famous composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington...
. Three years later he played in the Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
Orchestra, playing the music of Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
and also the Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....
Quartet, focusing on Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
's music.
In 1984, he recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett
Introducing Kenny Garrett
Introducing Kenny Garrett is an album recorded in December 1984 by Kenny Garrett.At the time he recorded this set, altoist Kenny Garrett was 24, had played with Mercer Ellington's big band, and was freelancing in New York...
, on the CrissCross
Criss Cross Jazz
Criss Cross Jazz is a Dutch jazz record label, specializing in American jazz.Criss Cross was founded in 1980 by Gerry Teekens, a drummer and German professor. The label, which releases about 20 albums per year, is noted for its simple, block-color cover art...
label. He then recorded two albums with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
; Prisoner of Love and African Exchange Student. Garrett signed to the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
label, and beginning with Black Hope
Black Hope
Black Hope is an album by Kenny Garrett , the first recorded for Warner Bros.- Track listing :* "Tacit Dance" – 6:08* "Spanish-Go-Round" – 4:08* "Computer “G”" – 10:03* "Van Gogh's Left Ear" – 7:39* "Black Hope" – 3:51...
, in 1992, he has continued to record with them. Among his notable recordings on Warner Bros. are Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane, recorded in 1996, and Songbook, his first album made up entirely of his own compositions, recorded in 1997 and nominated for a Grammy Award. During his career, Garrett has performed and recorded with many jazz greats such as Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
, Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
, Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
, Woody Shaw
Woody Shaw
Woody Shaw was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer and band leader, often referred to as the "last innovator" in the jazz trumpet lineage...
, McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
, Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on...
, Brian Blade
Brian Blade
Brian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
, Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
, Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
, Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
, and Mulgrew Miller
Mulgrew Miller
Mulgrew Miller is an American jazz pianist who performs in a number of jazz idioms. He began his career as member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.-Biography:...
. Garrett's music sometimes exhibits Asian influence, an aspect which is especially prevalent in his 2006 recording, Beyond the Wall.
While Garrett is best known in many circles for the five years he spent playing with Miles Davis during Miles' electric period, he states that he has become accustomed to the association:
"I was in Miles' band for about five years. I think that tag will always be there. That is five years of my life. That's the only musical situation that I was there longer than a year. It was a good five years. I have gotten used to that. Some people became aware of me through Miles and then they would come to my concerts. I think that is part of my history and I am proud of that. I am still trying to carve out my own name and my own music. I just look at it as a part of history and it is going to be there. Every time they mention Kenny Garrett, there will probably be some association with Miles Davis, but at the same time, when they mention Herbie Hancock, they always mention Miles Davis, or Wayne Shorter. You get used to it after a while." (allaboutjazz.com)
Pharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on...
. It was released on September 23, 2008. On his website, KennyGarrett.com, he states that his current band consists of electric bass and organ.
Garrett performed in a world tour, 2008-2009 with Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
, Christian McBride
Christian McBride
Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
and Brian Blade
Brian Blade
Brian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
/Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
as the "Five Peace Band
Five Peace Band
Five Peace Band is a post bop/jazz fusion quintet featuring Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Vinnie Colaiuta....
". The CD "Five Peace Band - Live" won a GRAMMY Award on January 31, 2010.
On May 7, 2011 Kenny Garrett was presented an Honorary Doctorate in Music Degree from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts. Garrett was the Commencement Speaker. There were 908 graduates - the largest graduating class in Berklee history. The commencement ceremony took place at the Agganis Arena (Boston University). Four thousand people were in attendance.
As leader
- Introducing Kenny Garrett, 1984
- 5 Paddle Wheel, 1988
- Prisoner of Love, 1989 (Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) - African Exchange Student, 1990 (Atlantic)
- Black HopeBlack HopeBlack Hope is an album by Kenny Garrett , the first recorded for Warner Bros.- Track listing :* "Tacit Dance" – 6:08* "Spanish-Go-Round" – 4:08* "Computer “G”" – 10:03* "Van Gogh's Left Ear" – 7:39* "Black Hope" – 3:51...
, 1992 (Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) - Introducing Kenny Garrett, 1994
- Threshold, 1994
- Triology, 1995
- Stars & Stripes Live, 1995
- Pursuance: The Music Of John Coltrane, 1996
- Songbook, 1997 (GRAMMY nomination)
- Simply Said, 1999
- Old Folks, 2001
- Birds Of A Feather: A Tribute To Charlie Parker, 2001
- Happy People, 2002
- Standard of Language, 2003
- Beyond The Wall, 2006 (GRAMMY nomination)
- Sketches of MD - live at the Iridium, 2008
As sideman
With Miles DavisMiles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
- AmandlaAmandla (album)Amandla is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1989. It is the third collaboration between Miles Davis and producer/bassist Marcus Miller, after Tutu and Music From Siesta , and their final album together. The album mixes elements of the genres go-go, zouk, funk and swing jazz,...
(1989) - Miles & Quincy Live at MontreuxMiles & Quincy Live at MontreuxMiles & Quincy Live at Montreux is a Miles Davis collaboration with Quincy Jones for the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival. For the first time in three decades, Davis returned to the songs arranged by Gil Evans on such classic 1950s albums as Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain...
(1991) - Live Around the WorldLive Around the World (Miles Davis album)-Track listing:# "In A Silent Way" – 1:49# "Intruder" – 4:52# "New Blues" – 5:35# Human Nature – 12:48# "Mr...
(1996)
With Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
- The Sun Don't LieThe Sun Don't LieThe Sun Don't Lie is an album by Marcus Miller, released in 1993, belonging to the jazz rock genre. The album was dedicated to Miles Davis.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "Panther" – 6:02...
(1993) - TalesTales (album)Tales is a 1995 studio album of Marcus Miller.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "The Blues" – 5:35# "Tales " – 0:12# "Tales" – 5:42...
(1995) - Live & More (1998)
- M²M² (album)M2 is a 2001 album by Marcus Miller, and the winner of the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "Power" – 4:37# "Lonnie's Lament" – 5:39...
(2001) - Panther/live (2004)
With Other Artists (these are just a few of the 230+ sideman recordings)
- Chick Corea
- John McLaughlin
- Vinnie Colaiuta
- Christian McBride
- Donald Byrd
- Q-Tip
- Mike Stern
- Terence Blanchard
- Cedar Walton
- Javon Jackson
- Duke Ellington Orchestra
- Wayman Tisdale
- Steve Turre
- Roy Haynes
- Lenny White
- Clifton Anderson
- Jeff "Tain" Watts
- John Scofield
- Charnett Moffett
- Rodney Kendrick
- Jazzmatazz
- Geri Allen
- Dennis Chambers
- Donald Byrd
- Philippe Saisse