About Kenny Garrett
Although saxophonist, bandleader and composer Kenny Garrett never had the benefit of a college education, that hasn't hurt his career as a jazz musician one bit. Garrett has released several critically acclaimed albums for the Warner Bros. label and prior to the birth of his recording career, earned his Master's degree in the jazz clubs in and around his native Detroit. Garrett's father was a carpenter who played tenor saxophone as an avocation. He got his first saxophone as an eight-year old and quickly learned the G-scale, thanks to his father. He studied with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and began performing with Mercer Ellington's band before he had finished high school. His first few professional shows were with Detroit area musicians, Belgrave and pianist Geri Allen. He felt he had arrived as a saxophonist when he was asked to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington. He skipped college and went on the road with the band for the summer and ended up staying with them for three and a half years on the road.
Garrett was raised in the Detroit jazz scene of the 1970's, which wasn't nearly as vibrant as it was a decade earlier. In high school, he had the good fortune to play with organist Lymon Woodward locally in Detroit, but recalls having to travel an hour or two hours from home to maintain his status as a working musician. He was encouraged to begin writing his own compositions by various members of Ellington's band, and began doing so a short time later. Aside from alto and soprano saxes, Garrett also uses the piano to compose. Prior to his rise under his own name as a bandleader and composer, Garrett had the opportunity to perform and record with Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw and the afore-mentioned Ellington Orchestra.
In 1982, he relocated to New York City, the jazz capital of the world, and now lives in suburban northern New Jersey.
Garrett made his recording debut with "Introducing Kenny Garrett," with the Criss Cross label in 1984 and then jumped to Atlantic Records, a major label which at that time was interested in rebuilding its once glorious jazz legacy. He recorded two notable albums with Atlantic, "Prisoner of Love" and "African Exchange Student." He began recording for Warner Bros. in 1992, when he released his stunning, critically appraised debut, "Black Hope." He followed up in 1995 with "Trilogy," and recorded "Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane" in 1996. He released "Songbook," his first album made up entirely of his own compositions, in 1997. Since then his other releases include "Simply Said," "Happy People," and "Standard of Language," all for Warner Bros. His most recent release is 2006's "Beyond the Wall." Garrett is a most versatile player, equally at home playing classic blues and rhythm and blues as he is interpreting classic jazz compositions by classic composers. As a composer himself, he has not even begun to reach his full potential yet, and more bright moments are in the offing in the recording studio and on the bandstand for this talented arranger, composer, musician and bandleader. ~ Richard Skelly, All Music Guide
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