Kenny Garrett, the most sonorous alto saxophonist of the past decade, started his career in the Mercer Ellington Orchestra. He was shown to better advantage as one of the horn players in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Garrett had his real breakthrough though in the eighties as the sax player of the Miles Davis Band. For years he’s been one of the most enthralling saxophone players around. A rough, unpolished approach and a predilection for jazz, funk and swing characterize his style. At the festival, the man who plays the alto as well as the soprano sax, will almost exclusively play songs from his latest album
Standard Language. On that record the lyrical Garrett blows a super nice, extremely fast, straightforward tune, full of energy and fire. Garrett’s quartet consists of pianist Carlos McKinney, bassist Kristopher Funn and drummer Ronald Bruner.
