KENNY GARRETT SOUNDS FROM THE ANCESTORS / Cape MayConvention Hall / Friday, Oct 23, 9:00 pm
The Story
Regarded as one of the top alto saxophone players in jazz today, 2023 NEA Jazz Master Kenny Garrett has been a significant figure in jazz for more than 40 years. The Detroit native began his career in 1978 as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, under the direction of Mercer Ellington. There followed important stints with Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw before Garrett joined the ranks of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messenger in 1986. From 1987 to 1991 he was a key member of Miles Davis’ group, contributing to the Grammy-nominated 1989 album Amandla and also appearing alongside Miles at his historic 1991 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2008, Garrett became a member of the Five Peace Band, a supergroup featuring Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Their live album album won a Grammy Award in 2010.
The alto sax great has released 18 albums as a leader, beginning with 1984’s Introducing Kenny Garrett and featuring such gems along the way as 1990’s African Exchange Student, 1996’s Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane (named Jazz Album of the Year by Downbeat magazine), 2002’s Happy People, 2006’s Beyond the Wall and 2021’s Grammy-winning Sounds From The Ancestors. “I believe that music does heal people,” Garrett said in a recent interview. “That’s the reason that I play this music, because I know it heals me.”
In his return trio to the Exit Zero Jazz Festival (he last appeared in 2021), Garrett will be joined by vocalist Melvis Santa, pianist Keith Brown, bassist Corcoran Holt, percussionist Rudy Bird and drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr.
The Sound
Groove to the infectious and uplifting sound of the gospel-tinged “When Things Were Different,”
the polyrhythmically driving “For Art’s Sake” (his homage to jazz legend Art Blakey) and the funky “Hargrove” (for the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove),” all sparked by Garrett’s pungent alto soloing. And buckle up when he unleashes his potent bop chops on uptempo burners like his aptly-named “Chasing the Wind” or his blazing take on a standard like “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
