Kenny Garrett

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Kenny Garrett began his illustrious career in 1978, joining the Duke Ellington Orchestra led by Mercer Ellington. He then performed with the Mel Lewis Orchestra and the Dannie Richmond Quartet before becoming a founding member of Out of the Blue in 1984. Garrett’s pivotal early roles included his tenure with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers from 1986 to 1987, and a significant four-year collaboration with Miles Davis’s band from 1987 until Davis’s passing in 1991. During this period, he also collaborated with renowned musicians such as Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.

Other significant albums during this period include ‘Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane’ (1996) and ‘Do Your Dance!’ (2016). Garrett’s profound impact on jazz has been recognized through numerous accolades across his career, including multiple DownBeat Readers Poll wins for Alto Saxophone. In 2010, he received a Grammy Award as part of the Chick Corea and John McLaughlin Five Peace Band for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album.” His contributions were further celebrated with an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music in 2011 and an Echo Award in the Saxophonist of the Year category in 2013. In 2023, Garrett was recognized as an NEA Jazz Master, one of the highest honors in American jazz, and also received the prestigious Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Ministère de la Culture, République de France.

His recent album, ‘Sounds from the Ancestors’ (2021), garnered an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, showcasing his continued exploration of diverse musical roots and cultural influences. Demonstrating his ongoing innovation, Kenny Garrett released his first electronic album, ‘Who Killed AI?’, in 2024, a collaborative effort with Svoy. This project highlights his adaptability and pioneering spirit, extending his artistic reach into new sonic territories.