Kenny Garrett

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.^[1][2]

In 1984, Garrett recorded his first album as a bandleader, Introducing Kenny Garrett, on the Criss Cross label.^[3] During that year, he became the founding member of the ensemble Out of the Blue, which was produced by Blue Note Records.^[4] 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,^[1] he recorded eight albums for them.^[3] His music sometimes exhibits Asian influences, an aspect that is especially prevalent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated recording Beyond the Wall.^[3]

Garrett joined the "Five Peace Band" of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade/Vinnie Colaiuta around 2008.^[1] The CD Five Peace Band – Live won a Grammy Award in 2010.^[5]

In 2011, Garrett was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts.^[6] Garrett also was the Commencement Speaker for graduates.^[6]

In 2012, Garrett received a Soul Train Music Award nomination for his 2012 studio album Seeds from the Underground in the Best Traditional Jazz Artist/Group category.^[7] Also in 2012, Grammy nominations for Seeds from the Underground followed in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo categories,^[5] and Seeds From The Underground received an NAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Album category.^[8] In 2013, Garrett won an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category.^[9]

Garrett's album Pushing the World Away received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category in 2013.^[10] 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.^[11]

• 2011: Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, Commencement Speaker^[6]
• 2023: NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship^[12]
• 2023: Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Ministère de la Culture, République de France

Garrett was described as the "most important alto saxophonist of his generation" by the Washington City Paper^[13] and "one of the most admired alto saxophonists in jazz after [Charlie] Parker" by The New York Times.^[14]

• 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.