Like the first few days of summer vacation, saxophonist Kenny Garrett comes around each year to Blues Alley bringing his new material, his band and a lot of merry-making.
“I like Blues Alley because the people come out and they want to hear the music, they participate,” he said. “We always have a good time and I always look forward to it.”
Of course, that excitement is doubled when he can share a new CD release. The recording is called “Seeds from the Underground” and in it, Garrett revisits the straight-ahead, acoustic quartet format that is part of his talent and also showcases his original compositions.
| Onstage |
| Kenny Garrett |
| Where: Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW |
| When: 8 and 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday |
| Info: $35; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com |
“Each song has a story to it,” Garrett explained of the album filled with tunes of homage for those who have inspired, influenced and nurtured him throughout the course of his career. “I refer to seeds because they were planted, directly or indirectly by people who have been instrumental in my development.”
The opening track, “Boogety Boogety” is dedicated to the memory of his father and the hours spent together watching Western movies. The catchy title represents the sound of a horse’s clip-clopping. To this day — and 11 albums later — Kenny Garrett’s memories are strong.
“I started playing [saxophone] when I was 9 years old,” Garrett recalled. “My father played and I would sit around, not for the playing but [because] I loved the smell of the case, this old velvet case. I would sit by that case and he would play.”
Garrett was given a toy saxophone to play and eventually he received the real deal — a polished instrument with a bullet hole in the side of it.
“I guess it was a horn he bought from a pawn shop,” Garrett said with a laugh. “But that was my first horn and he taught me a G-scale and sent me off to music school.”
Another tune on the album, “Detroit” recalls growing up years in his hometown, while “Do Wo Mo” is a tribute to musical heroes, Duke Ellington, Woody Shaw and Thelonious Monk.
With considerable focus on melody and a unique approach to rhythm and meter, Garrett, along with his quartet, presents “Seeds from the Underground” to Blues Alley audiences this weekend.
“I think musically, we just try to take people on a journey; to distract them from life and hope they come back again,” he said.
