Mack Avenue

For over three decades, Kenny Garrett has ascended as one of the preeminent voices of modern jazz saxophone, honing his chops on the shoulders of such giants as Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey and Miles Davis, not to mention the twenty years spent as a bandleader in his own right.

And it is that very remarkable background which serves as the template for Garrett’s latest LP, Seeds From The Underground. This nine-track session finds the Detroit sax man returning to the acoustic format following his key role in the Five Peace Band, a mind-blowing jazz supergroup comprised of John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride and dual drummers Vinnie Colacuta and Brian Blade. Flanked by by the assistance of his present day live band, rounded out by longtime associate Nat Reeves on bass, drummer Donald Bruner and Venezuelan piano sensation Benito Gonzalez in addition to percussionist Rudy Bird and pianist Donald Brown (who also co-produced the record), Garrett elegantly tips his hat to the folks who’ve shaped his chops on the way up across such glistening jams as “Wiggins”, which pays respect to his old high school band director, “Detroit”, a poignant reflection of his embattled hometown and homages to such historic heroes as Jackie McLean (“J Mac”), Roy Haynes (“Haynes Here”) and Keith Jarrett (“Ballad Jarrett”).

Seeds From The Underground presents itself as a fitting testimony to Garrett’s storied life in jazz, scaling back the bravado of his previous works to reveal the true soul behind his pair of golden lungs that show no sign of losing steam.