Sounds from the Ancestors Kenny Garrett

• 1 It’s Time to Come Home 09:48
• 2 Hargrove 05:13
• 3 When the Days Were Different 08:08
• 4 For Art’s Sake 08:05
• 5 What Was That? 08:31
• 6 Soldiers of the Fields / Soldats des Champs 10:55
• 7 Sounds from the Ancestors 07:10
• 8 It’s Time to Come Home (Original) 09:47
• Total Runtime 01:07:37

Info for Sounds from the Ancestors

Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom, which is not surprising considering the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges the likes of Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Similar to how Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights – James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone – then crafted its own unique, polyrhythmic, groove-laden, improv-heavy universe, Sounds from the Ancestors occupies its own space with intellectual clarity, sonic ingenuity and emotional heft.

Composer/saxophonist Kenny Garrett emerged as a distinctive voice on the national scene in 1978 with an undisputed aptitude for emotive melodic phrasing that led him to collaborations with Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey and Miles Davis. With Sounds from the Ancestors, Garrett remembers the spirit of the sounds of African ancestors from church services, recited prayers, songs from the work fields, Yoruban chants and African drums, alongside tributes to Roy Hargrove and two drum pioneers — Art Blakey and Tony Allen — who all looked into the past to influence the future sound and evolution of jazz.

"Garrett's compositional input is often based on two and four bar melodic motifs, which, as on ‘Hargrove’ for example, are repeated over, much like the kind of compositions Miles Davis was coming up with during his triumphant return in the 1980s on pieces like ‘Jean Pierre’. On ‘Hargrove’, the influence of R&B and hip hop is felt rather than explicitly stated, like many of the musical ingredients in Garrett's musical mix. Among the album's highlights are ‘For Art's Sake’, a dedication to Art Blakey, the gospel orientated ‘When Days Were Different’ and the title track. When Garrett was signed to Warner Bros he allowed Asian influences to emerge on a couple of albums, while this album's inspiration is drawn from Afro Cuban jazz, such as ‘It's Time to Come Home’, that opens the album." (Stuart Nicholson, jazzwise.com)

Kenny Garrett, alto saxophone
Guests:
Lenny White, drums
Johnny Mercier, piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ
Maurice Brown, trumpet
Pedrito Martinez, congas, percussion
Dreiser Durruthy, batá
Dwight Trible, vocals
Jean Baylor, vocals
Linny Smith, vocals
Chris Ashley Anthony, vocals
Sheherazade Holman, vocals

Kenny Garrett
Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. From his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (led by Mercer Ellington) through his time spent with musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis, Garrett has always brought a vigorous yet melodic, and truly distinctive, alto saxophone sound to each musical situation. As a bandleader for the last two decades, he has also continually grown as a composer. With his latest recording (and second for Mack Avenue Records), Seeds From The Underground, Garrett has given notice that these qualities have not only become more impressive, but have provided him with the platform to expand his horizons and communicate his musical vision clearly. Seeds From The Underground is a powerful return to the straight-ahead, acoustic and propulsive quartet format that showcases Garrett’s extraordinary abilities.

For Garrett, Seeds From The Underground is a special recording. It once again consists of all original compositions, and is truly an homage to those who have inspired and influenced him, both personally and musically. “All of these songs are dedicated to someone,” says Garrett. “And the ‘seeds’ have been planted, directly or indirectly, by people who have been instrumental in my development.”

With Seeds From The Underground Garrett has crafted a project that offers his appreciation while always making the listener aware of his band’s skillful approach to melody, harmony and rhythm. From personal nods such as the opening track “Boogety Boogety,” dedicated to his memory of watching western films with his father (the title refers to the sound of a galloping horse); “Wiggins,” which references his high school band director Bill Wiggins; and “Detroit,” an evocative, reflective composition about his hometown, and a celebration of mentor Marcus Belgrave; to his appreciation of some of his musical heroes on “J Mac” (Jackie McLean); “Haynes Here” (Roy Haynes); and “Do Wo Mo” (Duke Ellington, Woody Shaw and Thelonious Monk).

Melody, as a matter of fact, was a key element for the saxophonist when writing for the recording. “I wanted to focus on the melody,” Garrett reflects. “I want people to remember what the melody is before we start improvising…and on some songs I heard voices, the singing of the melody.” This latter point is in evidence on the selections “Haynes Here,” “Detroit” and “Welcome Earth Song.”

Another notable component compositionally for Garrett on Seeds From The Underground is his approach to rhythm and meter. Over the past few years, one of the most popular and acclaimed groups that he has been a part of is the GRAMMY® award winning Five Peace Band, joining guitarist John McLaughlin, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride, and drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Brian Blade. His participation in that band led him to experiment with writing in different meters. “Some of these songs are in odd meters; in my experience with John, we played some songs in odd meters, so I thought, this is a different way of writing songs,” Garrett states. “So there is some of that approach here.” ....

This album contains no booklet.