Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American

post-bop Post-bop is a jazz term with several possible definitions and usages.Yudkin, Jeremy (2007), p. 125 It has been variously defined as a musical period, a musical genre, a musical style, and a body of music, sometimes in different chronological perio ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Orchestra and for his time with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

's band. Garrett's primary instruments are

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...

and

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

saxophone and

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

. Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.

Biography

Kenny Garrett was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, 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 Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

, under the leadership of

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Elli ...

, in 1978. Garrett also played and recorded with

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, and

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the 20th century's most important and influentia ...

before developing his career as a leader. In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, '' Introducing Kenny Garrett'', on the CrissCross label. In that year, he became the founding member of Out of the Blue, which was produced by

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

. In 1986, Garrett became a member of Art Blakey's

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

. Garrett signed to the

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

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''.

Garrett joined the "

Five Peace Band ''Five Peace Band Live'' is a 2009 post bop/jazz fusion album from keyboardist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin (musician), John McLaughlin with alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Ba ...

" of

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

, John McLaughlin,

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 400 recordings as a sideman, and is a nine-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of jaz ...

and

Brian Blade Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and session musician. Early life Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Blade was exposed to gospel and praise music while attending Zion Baptist Church at which his ...

Vinnie Colaiuta Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drumme ...

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 Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

, in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts. Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates. In 2012, Garrett received a

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

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 The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category. In 2013, Garrett won an

Echo Award Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and was set up to honor ...

in the Saxophonist of the Year category. Garrett's '' Pushing the World Away'' album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category in 2013. 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.

Honors

* 2011: Honorary Doctorate of Music from

, Commencement Speaker. * 2023: NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship * 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 The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1981. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial ...

'' and "One of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

" by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Introducing Kenny Garrett'' ( Criss Cross, 1985) – rec. 1984 * ''Garrett 5'' (

Paddle Wheel A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened end (the ''blade'') used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered watercraft by p ...

, 1989) – rec. 1988 * ''Prisoner of Love'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1989) * ''African Exchange Student'' (Atlantic, 1990) * '' Black Hope'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, 1992) * ''Triology'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * ''Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane'' (Warner Bros., 1996) * ''

Songbook A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano man ...

'' (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 A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction. Mythology and literature In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds. In ancient Greek ...

, 1999) with

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as a performer and composer, received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in ...

and

David Friesen David Friesen (born May 6, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. He plays double bass and electric upright bass. Career Friesen began playing bass while serving in the United States Army in Germany. He played with John Handy and Marian McPartl ...

* ''Casino Lights '99'' (

, 2000) – live at

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

* 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 Michael Philip Mossman (born October 12, 1959) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Mossman's early career included a tour of Europe with Anthony Braxton in 1978 and tours with Roscoe Mitchell in the early 1980s. He also did session work in the ...

Ralph Bowen Ralph Bowen (born December 24, 1961) is a Canadian jazz saxophonist. Biography Bowen started piano lessons at an early age, with clarinet and saxophone lessons following soon after. At thirteen he led a quartet and performed in big bands in Tor ...

Harry Pickens Harry Pickens is an American jazz pianist. He began his career with the Johnny Griffin quartet and Chico Freeman quintet, later performing with Blue Note Records group Out of the Blue before releasing several albums as leader. Allmusic credits/ ...

, 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 Mount Fuji Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held in August in the Lake Yamanaka area, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The three-day festival features musicians from Blue Note Records and others, performing on different stages, 1986–96. Alfre ...

1986 at

Lake Yamanaka is located in the village of Yamanakako in Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji, Japan. Lake Yamanaka is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes in surface area and the highest in elevation. It is the third highest lake in Japan, with a mean sur ...

Manhattan projects * ''Dreamboat'' (Timeless, 1990) with

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

, Donald Brown,

Ira Coleman Ira Coleman (born April 29, 1956) is a French-American jazz bassist. Educated at the Berklee College of Music, he appears on four albums by Paris-based pianist Laurent de WildeCarr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby and Priestley, Brian''Rough Guide ...

, Carl Allen – recorded in 1989 General Music Project (G. M. Project)
Co-leader with Charnett Moffett * ''General Music Project'' (

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...

, 1997) with

Charles Moffett Charles Moffett (September 6, 1929 – February 14, 1997) was an American free jazz drummer. Biography Moffett was born in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended I.M. Terrell High School with Ornette Coleman. Before switching to drums, Moffett ...

and

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh. Early life and education Allen was born in Pontiac, Michigan ...

* ''Blacker'' (Sweet Basil, 1997) with Charles Moffett and

Cyrus Chestnut Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for ''Time'', wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes ...

* ''General Music Project II'' (Evidence, 1998) with the same musicians * ''Mr. J.P.'' (VideoArts, 2001) with

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

and

Carlos McKinney Carlos McKinney (born January 10, 1973), known professionally as Los Da Mystro, is an American record producer and jazz pianist. Biography McKinney was born into a prominent Detroit jazz family. He is the nephew to pianist Harold McKinney, ...

As sideman

With

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

* 1987: '' Harlem Blues'' (

Landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...

, 1988) * 1989: '' Getting Down to Business'' (Landmark, 1990) With

* '' Remembering Bud Powell'' ( Stretch, 1997) – Grammy nominated * ''

Five Peace Band Live ''Five Peace Band Live'' is a 2009 post bop/jazz fusion album from keyboardist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin (musician), John McLaughlin with alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Ba ...

'' with John McLaughlin (

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...

, 2009) CD– Grammy won * ''The Musician'' (Concord Jazz, 2017) CD With

* 1988-89: '' Amandla'' (

, 1989) * 1990: ''

Dingo The dingo (either included in the species ''Canis familiaris'', or considered one of the following independent taxa: ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1991) * 1988–91: '' Live Around the World'' (Warner Bros., 1996) – live * 1991: ''

Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux ''Miles & Quincy: Live at Montreux'' is a collaborative live album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and conductor Quincy Jones. It was recorded at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival and released by Warner Bros. Records in 1993. ''Miles & Quinc ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1993) – live * 1991: '' Merci Miles! Live at Vienne'' (Warner, 2021) – live With

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

* ''Praise'' ( Dreyfus Jazz, 1998) * '' Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker'' (Dreyfus Jazz, 2001) – Grammy nominated With

* '' Double Take'' with

(

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1985) * '' The Eternal Triangle'' with Woody Shaw (Blue Note, 1987) * '' Topsy – Standard Book'' ( alfa, 1990) – rec. 1989 With

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

* '' The Sun Don't Lie'' ( Dreyfus, 1993) * '' Tales'' (Dreyfus, 1995) * '' Live & More'' (GRP, 1997) * '' M²'' (Telarc, 2001) * ''Dreyfus Night in Paris'' with

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. Despite his health condition and rel ...

Biréli Lagrène Biréli Lagrène (born 4 September 1966) is a French jazz guitarist who came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt–influenced style. He often performs in swing, jazz fusion, and post-bop styles. Biography Lagrène was born in S ...

Lenny White Leonard White III (born December 19, 1949) is an American jazz fusion drummer who was a member of the band Return to Forever led by Chick Corea in the 1970s. White has been called "one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion". White has won thre ...

( Dreyfus Jazz, 2003) – live rec. 1994 With

Mulgrew Miller Mulgrew Miller (August 13, 1955 – May 29, 2013) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained in his ...

* ''

Wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

'' (

, 1987) * '' Hand in Hand'' (

Novus Novus (Latin, 'new') may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Novus Biologicals, later Bio-Techne, an American biotech company * Novus Entertainment, a Canadian telecommunications company * Novus International, an animal health and nutrition ...

, 1993) – rec. 1992 With Charnett Moffett * ''Beauty Within'' (Blue Note, 1989) * ''Evidence'' (Telarc, 1993) With

* '' Double Take'' with

(

, 1985) * '' The Eternal Triangle'' with Freddie Hubbard (Blue Note, 1987) With

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

* '' These Times'' (ESC, 2004) * '' All Over the Place'' (

Heads Up International Heads Up International is a jazz record label that was formed in Cleveland, Ohio. It was bought by the Concord Music Group in 2005. History The label got its name from a jazz group that Dave Love formed while attending North Texas State Univers ...

, 2012) – rec. 2011 With

Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Biography Watts got the nickname "Tain" ...

* '' Citizen Tain'' ( Columbia, 1999) * ''Detained at The Blue Note'' (

Half Note In music, a half note (American) or minim (British) is a Musical note, note played for half the duration of a whole note (or semibreve) and twice the duration of a quarter note (or crotchet). It was given its Latin name (''minima'', meaning "le ...

, 2004) – live With others *

, '' The Nurturer'' (

, 1991) – rec. 1990 * Clifton Anderson, ''Decade'' (Doxy, 2008) *

and

The Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

, ''

Feeling Good "Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical '' The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy G ...

'' ( Delos Productions, 1986) *

Cindy Blackman Cindy Blackman (born November 18, 1959), known as Cindy Blackman Santana since she married guitarist Carlos Santana in 2010, is an American jazz and Rock music, rock drummer performing since the 80s. Blackman has recorded several jazz albums as ...

, ''

Arcane Arcane may refer to: Comics and literature * Anton Arcane, a DC Comics character * Arcane Jill Watson, a fictional character in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' franchise * Arcane literature, fictional literature in the Cthulhu Mythos ...

'' (Muse, 1987) – rec. 1986 *

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for ''B ...

, '' Romantic Defiance'' (Columbia, 1995) – rec. 1994 *

Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a ...

, "Painting a Whish" in '' Munia: The Tale'' (Verve, 2003) * Cameo, ''

Machismo Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1940s and 1950s and its use more wi ...

'' (

Atlanta Artists Atlanta Artists was a label founded by Larry Blackmon of the group Cameo in 1983. The label was originally distributed by PolyGram. It was formed after Blackmon and Cameo relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Atlanta, Georgia. The studio gave ...

, 1988) – rec. 1987–88 *

Dennis Chambers Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American jazz fusion and funk drummer. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. He began drumming ...

, ''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 ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

, '' Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality'' (

Chrysalis A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages the ...

, 1995) *

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note Records, Blue Note album ''Components (album), Components'', is one of his best-known composi ...

, ''Skyline'' (Verve, 1999) * Javon Jackson, ''When The Time Is Right'' (Blue Note, 1994) - rec. 1993 *

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...

, '' Tenderness'' (Reprise, 1994) - live rec. 1993 *

Rodney Kendrick Rodney Kendrick (born April 30, 1958) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He has been described as a "hard swinging player and composer with a delightful Monkish wit and drive". Career At twenty-one, Kendrick began a prima ...

, ''The Secrets of Rodney Kendrick'' (Verve, 1993) *

, '' Number Two Express'' (

verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1996) - rec. 1995 * John McLaughlin, ''

'' (

, 2009) – Grammy won *

Meshell Ndegeocello Meshell Ndegeocello ( ; born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. ...

, '' The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel'' (

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum ...

, 2005) – rec. 2003 *

, ''Dreyfus Night in Paris'' with

( Dreyfus Jazz, 2003) – live rec. 1994 *

Q-Tip Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English), also Q-tips ( proprietary eponym), are wads of cotton wrapped around a short rod made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are most commonly used for ear cleaning, although th ...

, '' Kamaal the Abstract'' (

Battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

, 2009) – rec. 2001 * Tony Reedus & Urban Relations, ''People Get Ready'' (Sweet Basil, 1998) *

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He won one Grammy award and was nominated twice. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from ...

, ''

Intuition Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning or needing an explanation. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledg ...

'' (Muse, 1988) *

Philippe Saisse Philippe Saisse (; born 1957) is a French jazz musician, composer, record producer, and arranger. Career He was born in Marseille and raised in Paris. After studying at the Paris Conservatory he won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. ...

, ''Masques'' (Verve Forecast, 1995) *

, ''

Works for Me ''Works for Me'' is an album by John Scofield which was released by Verve on January 30, 2001. Track listing All compositions by John Scofield except "Freepie" by John Scofield, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Billy Higgins and Kenny Garrett ...

'' (Verve, 2001) - rec. 2000 *

, ''

Solid Solid is a state of matter where molecules are closely packed and can not slide past each other. Solids resist compression, expansion, or external forces that would alter its shape, with the degree to which they are resisted dependent upon the ...

'' (Muse, 1987) – rec. 1986 * Patches Stewart, ''Blow'' (Koch, 2005) * Stephen Scott, ''The Beautiful Thing'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1997) *

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

, "The Burning Babe" in '' If on a Winter's Night...'' (

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

, 2009) *

Wayman Tisdale Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma,

, ''

Power Forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...

'' (

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, 1995) *

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

, '' Rainbow People'' (HighNote, 2008) *

Jack Walrath Jack Arthur Walrath (born May 5, 1946) is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus, and Glenn Ferris, among others. Biography Walrath was born in Stuart, Florida. ...

, '' Master of Suspense'' (

, 1987) – rec. 1986–87 *

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

, '' Cedar Walton Plays'' (Delos, 1986) – rec. 1986 *

, ''Present Tense'' (Hip Bop, 1995) *

Larry Willis Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde. Willis was born in New York Ci ...

, ''

My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart coming of age musical ''Babes in Arms'' in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed ...

'' (Jazz City, 1988) *

Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician and singer born in Tokyo and raised in Aomori and later began her singing career in the mid-1970s. She has been called "one of the major musical talents of the Japanese popular music world", and her vocals an ...

, "" in ''Elephant Hotel'' (Epic, 1994)

Publications

* *

Awards and nominations

Chart positions

References

External links

Official SiteMack Avenue Artist Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrett, Kenny 1960 births Living people 20th-century American saxophonists 21st-century American flautists 21st-century American saxophonists African-American jazz musicians American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz composers American jazz flautists American jazz saxophonists American male jazz composers American male saxophonists Atlantic Records artists Bellaphon Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists Jazz musicians from Detroit Mack Avenue Records artists Mackenzie High School (Michigan) alumni Miles Davis Musicians from Glen Ridge, New Jersey NEA Jazz Masters Nonesuch Records artists Out of the Blue (American band) members Post-bop jazz musicians The Jazz Messengers members Warner Records artists