American jazz musician and composer (born 1960)
Kenny Garrett
Garrett performing in 2013
Background information Born (1960-10-09 ) October 9, 1960 (age 65) Genres Occupation Musician Instruments Alto saxophone soprano saxophone flute piano Years active 1978–present Labels Formerly of Website www
Musical artist
Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an Americanpost-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of theDuke Ellington Orchestra and for his time withMiles Davis 's band. Garrett's primary instruments arealto andsoprano saxophone andflute . Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.
Kenny Garrett was born inDetroit ,Michigan , on October 9, 1960. He attendedMackenzie 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 theDuke Ellington Orchestra , under the leadership ofMercer Ellington , in 1978. Garrett also played and recorded withArt Blakey ,Miles Davis ,Freddie Hubbard , andWoody Shaw before developing his career as a leader.[ 1] [ 2]
In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader,Introducing Kenny Garrett Criss Cross label.[ 3] Out of the Blue , which was produced byBlue Note Records .[ 4] Jazz Messengers .
Garrett signed to theWarner Bros. Records label, and beginning withBlack Hope [ 1] [ 3] Grammy -nominated recordingBeyond the Wall .[ 3]
Five Peace Band in 2008. From left:Christian McBride ,John McLaughlin ,Vinnie Colaiuta , and Garrett Garrett joined the "Five Peace Band " ofChick Corea ,John McLaughlin ,Christian McBride , andBrian Blade /Vinnie Colaiuta around 2008.[ 1] Five Peace Band – Live won a Grammy Award in 2010.[ 5]
In 2011, Garrett was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in Music fromBerklee College of Music , inBoston , Massachusetts.[ 6] Commencement Speaker for graduates.[ 6]
In 2012, Garrett received aSoul Train Music Award nomination for his 2012 studio albumSeeds from the Underground [ 7] Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories,[ 5] Seeds From The Underground received anNAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category.[ 8] Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.[ 9]
Garrett's albumPushing the World Away [ 10] Do Your Dance! Sounds from the Ancestors Who Killed AI? Svoy .[ 11]
Garrett was described as the "most important alto saxophonist of his generation" by theWashington City Paper [ 13] [Charlie] Parker " byThe New York Times [ 14]
[ edit ] Introducing Kenny Garrett Criss Cross , 1985) – rec. 1984Garrett 5 Paddle Wheel , 1989) – rec. 1988Prisoner of Love Atlantic , 1989)African Exchange Student Black Hope Warner Bros. , 1992)Triology Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane Songbook Simply Said Happy People Standard of Language Beyond the Wall Nonesuch , 2006)Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium Mack Avenue , 2008) – liveSeeds from the Underground Pushing the World Away Do Your Dance! Sounds from the Ancestors Who Killed AI? Svoy (Mack Avenue, 2024)Compilations
Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue (Blue Note, 1985) withMichael Philip Mossman ,Ralph Bowen ,Harry Pickens ,Robert Hurst , andRalph Peterson, Jr. Inside Track (Blue Note, 1986) with Mossman, Bowen, Pickens, Hurst, and PetersonLive at Mt. Fuji (Blue Note, 1987) with Mossman, Bowen, Pickens, Peterson, andKenny Davis – live, recorded at theMount Fuji Jazz Festival 1986 atLake Yamanaka , JapanManhattan projects Roy Hargrove ,Donald Brown ,Ira Coleman , andCarl Allen )
General Music Project (G. M. Project) Charnett Moffett )
With others
Geri Allen ,The Nurturer Blue Note , 1991) – rec. 1990Clifton Anderson ,Decade (Doxy, 2008)Art Blakey andThe Jazz Messengers ,Feeling Good Delos Productions , 1986)Cindy Blackman ,Arcane Terence Blanchard ,Romantic Defiance Richard Bona , "Painting a Wish" inMunia: The Tale Cameo ,Machismo Atlanta Artists , 1988) – rec. 1987–1988Dennis Chambers ,Planet Earth (BHM Productions, 2005)Cyrus Chestnut ,A Charlie Brown Christmas (Atlantic, 2000)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. 1993Al Jarreau ,Tenderness Rodney Kendrick ,The Secrets of Rodney Kendrick (Verve, 1993)Christian McBride ,Number Two Express verve , 1996) - rec. 1995John McLaughlin ,Five Peace Band Live Concord , 2009) – Grammy wonMeshell Ndegeocello ,The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel Universal Music , 2005) – rec. 2003Michel Petrucciani ,Dreyfus Night in Paris withMarcus Miller ,Biréli Lagrène ,Lenny White (Dreyfus Jazz , 2003) – live rec. 1994Q-Tip ,Kamaal the Abstract Battery , 2009) – rec. 2001Tony Reedus & Urban Relations,People Get Ready (Sweet Basil, 1998)Wallace Roney ,Intuition Philippe Saisse ,Masques (Verve Forecast, 1995)John Scofield ,Works for Me Woody Shaw ,Solid Patches Stewart,Blow (Koch, 2005) Stephen Scott ,The Beautiful Thing (Verve , 1997)Sting , "The Burning Babe" inIf on a Winter's Night... Deutsche Grammophon , 2009)Wayman Tisdale ,Power Forward Motown , 1995)Steve Turre ,Rainbow People Jack Walrath ,Master of Suspense Blue Note , 1987) – rec. 1986–87Cedar Walton ,Cedar Walton Plays Lenny White ,Present Tense (Hip Bop, 1995)Larry Willis ,My Funny Valentine Akiko Yano , "Chinsagu No Hana (てぃんさぐぬ花 " inElephant Hotel (Epic, 1994)
Awards and nominations [ edit ] ^a b c Jurek, Thom."Kenny Garrett: Biography" .AllMusic . RetrievedMarch 21, 2010 . ^ "Kenny Garrett" .National Endowment for the Arts . RetrievedApril 3, 2024 .^a b c "Beyond the Wall by Kenny Garrett" .Nonesuch Records . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 .^ "Out of The Blue" .Blue Note Records . RetrievedDecember 27, 2020 .^a b "52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards" .Grammy Awards . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 .^a b c Burg, Liz."Kenny Garrett Addresses Berklee's Largest Graduating Class" .Berklee College of Music . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 . ^ "Soul Train Licensing Info" .BET the original on August 3, 2020. RetrievedApril 15, 2013 .^ "Kenny Garrett NAACP Image Award Nomination" (PDF) .NAACP the original (PDF) on March 19, 2013. RetrievedDecember 15, 2012 .^ Mack Avenue Records (April 5, 2013)."Kenny Garrett won the Echo Award for saxophonist of the year! Make sure to pick up "Seeds From the Underground." .Twitter . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 . ^ "Kenny Garrett | Artist | GRAMMY.com" .Grammy Awards . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 .^ Collar, Matt (April 12, 2024)."Who Killed AI? - Kenny Garrett, Svoy | Album" .AllMusic . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 . ^ Mergner, Lee (July 14, 2022)."2023 NEA Jazz Masters Announced" .JazzTimes . RetrievedDecember 31, 2022 . ^ West, Michael J. (May 31, 2012)."Jazz Setlist, May 31-June 8: The Unfestive Alley" .Washington City Paper . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 . ^ Ratliff, Ben (August 25, 2013)."A Young Jazz Singer Reminds Her Elders How It Was Done" .The New York Times . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 .^ "Kenny Garrett 1996 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on March 4, 2016. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^a b "Kenny Garrett 1997 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on June 4, 2015. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^a b c d e f g h "Kenny Garrett" .Recording Academy .^ "Kenny Garrett 1998 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on June 4, 2015. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^ "Kenny Garrett 1999 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on June 4, 2015. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^ "Four Nonesuch Albums Nominated for 2006 Grammy Awards" .Nonesuch Records . RetrievedJanuary 17, 2021 .^ "Kenny Garrett 2009 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on May 12, 2013. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^ "Kenny Garrett 2010 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on May 12, 2013. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^ "Kenny Garrett 2012 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on July 30, 2016.^ "JJA Jazz Awards 2013 Nominees/Winners" . Archived fromthe original on May 18, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2021 .^ "Kenny Garrett 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll Win" . Archived fromthe original on November 9, 2013. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013 .^ "Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners" . October 24, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 19, 2021 .^ "Shorter, Salvant and Benson Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners" . October 21, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2021 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1989" . Billboard Magazine. 1989. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1990" . Billboard Magazine. 1990. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1992" . Billboard Magazine. 1992. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1995" . Billboard Magazine. 1995. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1996" . Billboard Magazine. 1996. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1997" . Billboard Magazine. 1997. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 1999" . Billboard Magazine. 1999. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2002" . Billboard Magazine. 2002. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2003" . Billboard Magazine. 2003. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2006" . Billboard Magazine. 2006. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2008" . Billboard Magazine. 2008. RetrievedNovember 7, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, June 25, 2012" . Billboard.com. RetrievedJune 25, 2012 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, October 5, 2013" . Billboard Magazine. Archived fromthe original on December 13, 2013. RetrievedOctober 5, 2013 .^ "Billboard Jazz Albums, July 30, 2016" . Billboard Magazine. RetrievedJuly 30, 2016 .
Studio albums Live albums Compilations Old Folks (2001)Casino Lights '99 (2000)Relief (2021)Related articles
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