Kenny Garrett is often mentioned in the same breath as Miles Davis due to the time he spent with Davis’ band during the late 80s/early 90s but Garrett has steadily been releasing his own albums as leader since 1984. His latest offering ‘Beyond The Wall’ features pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Robert Leslie Hurst III, drummer Brian Blade and percussionist Ruggerio Boccato along with jazz legends Pharoah Sanders and Bobby Hutcherson on tenor sax and vibes respectively. Together they have created nine stunning compositions rooted in modal and spiritual jazz, taking in eastern sounds along the way. Nedelka Echols adds her vocal tones to ‘Qing Wen’ ‘Kiss To The Skies’ and ‘Gwoka’, all of which are nothing short of brilliant, as is the firing title track ‘Beyond The Wall’, ‘Now’ and the haunting ‘Realization (Marching Towards The Light)’. Trust me this is a modern classic.
