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Kenny Garrett is a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, recognized for his extensive career as a solo artist and his pivotal roles with jazz legends including Miles Davis and Art Blakey.
Interested in booking Kenny Garrett?
Request A ShowAlto saxophonist who performed with Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Chick Corea and others before joining Miles in 1987.
You were a jazz artist signed to a major label, Warner Bros., for more than a decade, starting with Black Hope in 1992. How did your ...
Garrett is about to release his 18th album as a leader or co-leader, a collaboration with electronic music artist Svoy titled, provocatively, Who Killed AI?
Born on October 9, 1960, in Detroit, Michigan, Kenny Garrett began his musical journey at a young age, influenced by his father, a tenor saxophone hobbyist. His career initiated in 1978 when he joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra, led by Mercer Ellington. He then performed with the Mel Lewis Orchestra and the Dannie Richmond Quartet becoming a founding member of Out of the Blue in 1984. Between 1986 and 1987, Garrett was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. A significant turning point in his career came in 1987 when he joined Miles Davis’s band, a collaboration that lasted until Davis’s passing in 1991. During this period, Garrett also worked with other notable musicians such as Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.
Garrett launched his solo career with his debut album, “Introducing Kenny Garrett,” on the CrissCross label in 1984. He subsequently signed with Warner Bros. Records, releasing eight albums, including “Black Hope” (1992) and “Songbook” (1997). His work often incorporates diverse influences, such as the Asian elements prominent in his 2006 Grammy-nominated album “Beyond the Wall.” His discography as a leader also includes “Seeds from the Underground” (2012) and “Pushing the World Away” (2013), both of which earned Grammy nominations. He has collaborated extensively as a sideman, appearing on more than 230 recordings with artists including Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, and Pharoah Sanders.
Throughout his career, Garrett has received numerous accolades, including multiple DownBeat Readers Poll wins for Alto Saxophone. In 2010, he won a Grammy Award with the Chick Corea and John McLaughlin Five Peace Band for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album.” He was honored with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music in 2011 and was recognized as an NEA Jazz Master in 2023. His album “Sounds from the Ancestors” (2021) received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, showcasing his continued exploration of diverse musical roots. Most recently, he released his first electronic album, “Who Killed AI?” (2024), in collaboration with Svoy.
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