# 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.

## 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.
In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett, on the CrissCross label. In the year, he became the founding member of Out of the Blue which was produced by Blue Note Records. 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, he recorded eight albums for them. His music sometimes exhibits Asian influences, an aspect which is especially prevalent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated recording Beyond the Wall.
Garrett joined the "Five Peace Band" of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride and Brian Blade/Vinnie Colaiuta 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, Boston, Massachusetts. Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates.
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. 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 nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category. In 2013, Garrett won an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.
Kenny 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 Berklee College of Music, 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 and "One of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after Charlie Parker" by The New York Times.

## 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 | |
| 1997 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 1997 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Jazz Album of the Year | Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane |
| 1998 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance | Chick Corea – Remembering Bud Powell |
| 1998 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance | Songbook |
| 1998 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 1999 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 2002 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Roy Haynes – Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker |
| 2007 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Beyond the Wall |
| 2009 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 2010 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 2010 | Won | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | 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 | |
| 2013 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Seeds from the Underground |
| 2013 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Improvised Jazz Solo | "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 | |
| 2013 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |
| 2014 | Nominated | Grammy Award | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | 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 | |
| 2019 | Won | DownBeat Readers Poll | Alto Saxophone | |

## Chart positions

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