Here’s a great video of Kenny Garrett playing a solo on the tune Human Nature. He’s playing with Miles Davis in Paris. I remember getting this video in the early 90’s. I never heard of Kenny Garrett before and this solo blew me away. I must have watched it a thousand times. I would play my alto along with him and probably annoy the tar out of all my neighbors at the time.
While watching the video, I started sitting down. Then a chorus later, I stood up. Then a chorus later, I started pacing.  Then a couple of choruses later, I said “No way!”. Then a minute later, I started running my fingers through my hair mumbling “What is this?” Then 30 seconds later, I started jumping up and down as I couldn’t hold the excitement in…..
Now almost 30 years later I still have that feeling when I listen to this!  I loved how the band and Mr. Garrett build the energy during his solo. I had never heard anything like that before. I remember feeling that energy and feeling like that was the way I wanted to play a solo. This video motivated many many practice sessions back then!  I hope you like it as much as I did and still do.  If this is your first time watching it then strap yourself in…………..
…also, I love Miles’s look at the 4:50 minute mark. He looks right at the camera and the look says “Now that’s the s***!”
There is also a great transcription of this solo at Harderbop.com if you want to check out exactly what Kenny Garrett is playing here. Thanks to Kelly Bucheger for spending the time transcribing this!!
Kelly Bucheger’s transcription of Kenny Garrett on Human Nature
Man Kenny’s playing is just amazing. He has to be one of my favorite if not my favorite Alto player of all time. Thanks for showing me this clip Steve, and pointing me to the transcription.
I have to say – this has to be one of my favorite alto solos of all time. The first time I came across this recording I was 12 or 13, my parents had bought me Miles in Paris on VCD, my father being an accountant who liked some jazz – thought that this being miles would be easier listening stuff (he’s very into bebop). My mother being a simple house wife had no idea. My father and I really didn’t get this recording at all. 8 years later I was right into kenny Garrett and had totally forgot about it until a friend pointed this solo out to me in a computer lab and said “MAN KENNY IS SUCH A BEAST!” and I said “I have this concert”. I went home that day and was very sorry that I had never watched this concert all the way through. There is so much fire in kenny’s playing, and the way the band builds with him is just amazing! Like you Steve this solo was fuel for practice many days and nights after watching this, And Harder Bop – your transcription is great!
I know what you are saying. I went through my Kenny Garrett stage where I was doing gigs and trying to sound like Kenny on every solo I did on alto…………..
Solo is no longer on the site.
I’ll put it up. It’s still on the internet:
http://www-cs.canisius.edu/~bucheger/transcriptions/garrettparis.pdf