Carlos Garnett | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | (1938-12-01)December 1, 1938 Red Tank,Panama Canal Zone |
| Died | March 3, 2023(2023-03-03) (aged 84) |
| Genres | Jazz,avant-garde,spiritual jazz,jazz-funk |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Labels | Muse,HighNote, Savant |
Carlos Garnett (December 1, 1938 - March 3, 2023) was a Panamanian-Americanjazz saxophonist.[1][2][3]
Garnett was born on December 1, 1938, inRed Tank,Panama Canal Zone.He became interested in jazz after hearing the music ofLouis Jordan andJames Moody in short films.[4] He taught himself to play saxophone as a teenager and played with soldiers from the nearby United States Army base. In 1957 he started playing incalypso andlatin music groups.[1]
After moving to New York in 1962, he played in a rock 'n' roll group led by Leo Price. Around this time he also started learningmusic theory, being self-taught and having always played by ear. Jazz trumpeterFreddie Hubbard hired him in 1968 and introduced him to many New York musicians. Garnett's first recording was Hubbard's 1969 albumA Soul Experiment, which contained two original compositions by him.[4]
In the late 1960s and early 1970 Garnett also played withArt Blakey's Jazz Messengers,Charles Mingus andMiles Davis.[5] His group recorded five albums for three years between 1974 and 1977 onMuse, notablyJourney to Enlightenment,Black Love, andLet This Melody Ring On.[1] In 1982, Garnett, suffering from depression and drug abuse, experienced a spiritual awakening and stopped playing music for almost a decade.[4][6] He began performing again in 1991[1] and released the albumsFuego en mi alma (1996),Under Nubian Skies (1999) andMoon Shadow (2001). In 2000 he moved back to Panama.[4][7]
Garnett performed at three editions of the annual Panama Jazz Festival. The 9th Annual Panama Jazz Festival in 2012, organized by Panamanian pianistDanilo Perez, was dedicated to Carlos Garnett in recognition of his contribution to music.
Garnett was invited to perform in Japan, where they were interested in his earlier "funk" music, and in Austria twice. His albumShekina's Smile was named after his daughter.
Garnett died on March 3, 2023, at the age of 84.[8][9]
WithMiles Davis
WithNorman Connors
WithPharoah Sanders
With others
Garnett, Carlos, with Jaime J. Ortiz.Mango Tree Musician: The Carlos Garnett Autobiography. (McFarland, 2024)
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