Kenny Garrett Infectious at Blue Note
Last Sunday I was able to cross a venue off my concert bucket list by going with my wife and daughter to the Blue Note in NYC. My 17-year-old loves jazz and wanted to go to a jazz club while we were visiting New York for Thanksgiving week. If you are going to go to your first jazz club it has to be the Blue Note, one of the most recognized clubs in the US.
The Blue Note, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, has been around since 1981. Owner Danny Bensusan opened the club to provide a venue for local jazz musicians and became a home for some very famous names like Dizzy Gillespie and Tito Puente as well as some surprise performances by Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. As you walk in the door the pictures on the wall are a jazz history lesson. I knew immediately we were in the right place. The club capacity is only 200 and set up with communal tables to maximize the intimate setting. We were lucky enough to get a table for ourselves with a great view of the stage.
Our tickets were for the amazing saxophonist, Kenny Garrett. Kenny, born in Detroit Michigan, saw early success when he joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra at 18 years old and also had the chance to play with legends Art Blakey and Miles Davis before becoming a band leader of his own. Kenny had the chance to win a grammy alongside Chick Corea and has seven grammy nominations for his discography over the last 30 years.
Kenny and his band came right through the crowd and jumped on stage and hit the ground running. The unique sound of the Blue Note was immediate as each member of his band started to play. The band and energy of the club continued to rise as they warmed up right in front of us. My daughter looked back at me as this was not the jazz she was used to. I assured her they were just warming up and would hit their groove very soon. Hit their groove they did as we were treated to 90 minutes of Kenny’s infectious saxophone and piano. Kenny and his band had everyone on their feet dancing and made for a once in a lifetime experience for our family of three. Make sure to check Kenny out on his current tour and expand your musical chops by venturing to a show at the Blue Note in NYC or one of their other locations around the world for an unforgettable night of music.