Since changing labels to Mack Avenue, Kenny Garrett has been having a musical, and possibly spiritual, renaissance. Is it possible to separate the two anyway? Since being one of the “young lions” back in the 80s, he’s been on an artistic and soulful pilgrimage, and his last few albums, most notably Beyond The Wall, have been some of the most adventurous and satisfying music to be put out in the past decade. This one, on the tail of the almost as wondrous last release (Seeds From The Underground) mix a bit of various styles creating a type of musical as well as spiritual ecumenicism. It works!
Performing mostly on alto, Garrett teams up with some younger cats Benito Gonzalez-Vernell Brown/p, Corcoran Holt/b, Marcus Baylor-McClenty Hunter-Mark Whitfield Jr/dr and Rudy Bird/perc, as well as bringing in some cameo appearances by Ravi Best/tp, Jean Baylor/voc and a string trio. The songs can be categorized as either driving modal (such as “A Side Order of Hijiki” or “Alpha Man”), percussive Latin (“J’ouvert” )or melodious treatises (“Homma San”). Garrett’s alto is as reflective as morning dew on the angular “Lincoln Center”; “Hey, Chick” has him gliding along a velvety waltz and the opus title track has him driving like a cattle stampede scene from Red River. The mix of chants and rhythm on the latter is a force to be dealt with. Garrett even displays some charm on the piano with Hunter and the strings on the Come Sunday-ish “Brother Brown”. This set satisfies on a plethora of levels, and is a great example of the Bible’s teaching to be “in” the world, but not “of” it. Get it! Mack Avenue Jazz www.mackavenue.com ce changing labels to Mack Avenue, Kenny Garrett has been having a musical, and possibly spiritual, renaissance. Is it possible to separate the two anyway? Since being one of the “young lions” back in the 80s, he’s been on an artistic and soulful pilgrimage, and his last few albums, most notably Beyond The Wall, have been some of the most adventurous and satisfying music to be put out in the past decade. This one, on the tail of the almost as wondrous last release (Seeds From The Underground) mix a bit of various styles creating a type of musical as well as spiritual ecumenicism. It works! Performing mostly on alto, Garrett teams up with some younger cats Benito Gonzalez-Vernell Brown/p, Corcoran Holt/b, Marcus Baylor-McClenty Hunter-Mark Whitfield Jr/dr and Rudy Bird/perc, as well as bringing in some cameo appearances by Ravi Best/tp, Jean Baylor/voc and a string trio. The songs can be categorized as either driving modal (such as “A Side Order of Hijiki” or “Alpha Man”), percussive Latin (“J’ouvert” )or melodious treatises (“Homma San”). Garrett’s alto is as reflective as morning dew on the angular “Lincoln Center”; “Hey, Chick” has him gliding along a velvety waltz and the opus title track has him driving like a cattle stampede scene from Red River. The mix of chants and rhythm on the latter is a force to be dealt with. Garrett even displays some charm on the piano with Hunter and the strings on the Come Sunday-ish “Brother Brown”. This set satisfies on a plethora of levels, and is a great example of the Bible’s teaching to be “in” the world, but not “of” it. Get it!
Mack Avenue Jazz
www.mackavenue.com