Kenny Garrett, the alto-saxophonist of Miles Davis in his last years (with a portfolio of co-operations with masters like Freddy Hubbard, Mc Coy Tiner, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones and more recently Pharoah Sanders among others) gave a CD release concert at Iridium last night. The CD is called Sketches of MD and it was recorded live at the same Times Square club. I went to see him after dining at Ruby Foo's, my favorite Oriental restaurant in the area - mostly for romantic reasons.
From time to time I have been wondering how John Coltrane would play today if he could come back - a stupid question, but how many stupid questions we ask ourselves every day then. Of course John Coltrane was what he was because he was born in a specific time and place and therefore it can not exist something like a today's John Coltrane, although it would be a beautiful thing to have him back. However, when Garrett started to play I couldn't resist the temptation to close my eyes and think about that wish.
The introduction was powerful - there was inspiration and rage and a spirituality that recalled A Love Supreme - and made me feel happy, very happy to be there. OK, Garrett doesn't play tenor saxophone (but makes his alto sound like a tenor at times) and OK, he gives a lot of space to Hammond sound in his band (and I still prefer classical piano although Benito Gonzales - the young musicians on keys at the concert- is blessed with a tremendous technique and made a truly impressive introduction of the third piece of the concert, Intro to Africa) but he plays with a grace that comes from a perfect blend of technical mastery and creativity. He doesn't reach the intensity of Coltrane, who was immense, the closest thing on heart to the Adamo that almost touches God's finger on the Cappella Sistina; but he has still time to grow and he will, and he kept me happy to be there all along the concert.
Even more so when he played a duet with Mulgrew Miller at the piano, inspired by a Japanise traditional song (Garrett's last studio album, Beyond the Wall - with a revealing picture of the Great Wall on the cover - is influenced here and there by Asian music). At a certain point, Garrett started to inject a vein of African Arabic music into the theme, creating the mirage of a mosque in the middle of the Honshu island; then he started to fragment the theme, almost with rage, leaving pieces of it floating in the air. Then he got tender again, gathered again those pieces together one by one like a child who collects snowflakes with his hands, and closed the piece with soft, oriental grace. Not many musicians out there are capable of doing the same.
Then the band came back and they ended the concert with Happy People, a funky tune that sounded very appropriate as Iridium was full of happy people at that point.
I found out that Kenny Garrett is just one month younger than me (he was born on Oct. 9th of my same year). Now I have two of his CDs signed by him, and this is me with him - "the real Kenny G" as the guy at Iridium introduced him on stage - and my evidently happy face:
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