Kenny Garrett Reflections on African Influences

courtesy of DL Media

At the end of this past August, Mack Avenue Records released an album of compositions and performances led by jazz saxophonist Kenny Garrett entitled Sounds from the Ancestors. Through the seven works presented on this recording, 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. In addition, there is a track entitled “Hargrove,” a tribute to jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove (who died on November 2, 2018) evoked, in Garrett’s combo, by trumpeter Maurice Brown.

A richer path of influence can be found in “For Art’s Sake.” Through the drum-work of Ronald Bruner, the music explores how the bebop drumming of Art Blakey influenced Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. Bruner then blended both of these influences into his own contemporary performance techniques.

Those concerned that this album might be an ethnological treatise on African influences have nothing fear. Whatever those influences may be, Garrett’s music consistently follows through on the contemporary performance techniques. In addition, he chose to frame the entire album with complementing accounts of “It’s Time to Come Home.” Thus, his reflections on African sources are revealed during the opening track, reinforced by the following six tracks, and then summarized as a “closing argument” in the final track.

This is clearly music for attentive listening, but those who accept that premise are likely to find the overall journey an entirely satisfying one.