Beyond the Wall
Studio album by
Kenny Garrett
ReleasedAugust 2006 (U.S.)
RecordedFebruary 19–21, 2006
StudioRight Track Recording, NYC
GenreJazz
LabelNonesuch Records
ProducerKenny Garrett & Steven Epstein
Kenny Garrett chronology
Standard of Language
(2003)		 Beyond the Wall
(2006)		 Sketches of MD: Live at The Iridium
(2008)

Beyond the Wall is the twelfth studio album by Kenny Garrett released in August 2006 from Nonesuch Records.[1] Among the musicians are legendary tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Brian Blade.

For Garrett, Beyond the Wall is a continuation of his fascination with and study of Asian cultures and philosophies. On Beyond the Wall Garrett mixed Chinese instrumentation with Western strings, creating an amalgam of musical styles, which hang together effortlessly. Some of the tracks on Beyond the Wall relate specifically to his travels.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[2]
AllMusic[3]
Audiophile Audition[4]
The Guardian[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[6]

The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.[7][8]

In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "This is Garrett's strongest moment in an already enduring career; it's fully realized compositionally, and in terms of its arrangements and its playing, it's virtually flawless without sacrificing emotion or creative intent or aesthetic vision. Simply put, it's his masterpiece."[3]

The Washington Post's Geoffrey Himes called the recording "one of the year's best albums," and stated: "Garrett holds his own in... heady company, warbling his alto sax like an Islamic prayer horn one moment and shouting through it like an Alabama church choir the next."[9]

John Kelman of All About Jazz commented: "It's hard to find fault with the deeply emotional ride of Beyond the Wall except, perhaps, in its unrelenting seriousness. Still, with a cast of players this strong, one can forgive its earnestness and revel in performances that bring Tyner's and Coltrane's innovations into the 21st Century."[2]

Writing for The Guardian, John L. Walters remarked: "The great wall of China cover might imply world/jazz fusion, but Beyond the Wall is very much a jazz suite... the project's core is pure, deep-rooted improvisation, with plenty of forthright tenor and alto from Garrett, plus A-list sidemen."[5]

In an article for PopMatters, Michael Kabran described the album as "easily one of the most enjoyable jazz releases of the last decade," and wrote: "Soulful, warm, and accessible... [it] deftly toed the magical tightrope between post-bop and the avant-garde... its top-notch performances, infectious melodies, and propulsive rhythms resulted in something truly special."[10]

Steve Greenlee of JazzTimes stated that the album "is no gimmick, and its pancontinental jazz never feels contrived," and noted that Garrett's experience climbing the Great Wall "unleashed a new source of creativity in him."[11]

The BBC's Lara Bellini commented: "Beyond The Wall embraces jazz in its original connotation, as a form so flexible and unrestricted that is both able to embrace the world and not be afraid to question its own foundations in the process."[12]

A reviewer for Audiophile Audition called the album "a dazzingly foray into the music, culture, and instruments of the Far East, reflected through the progressive jazz forms Garrett is famous for," and "a beautiful album, rich in melody, groove, and progressive notions of what jazz can be."[4]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Calling"Kenny Garrett9:37
2."Beyond The Wall"Kenny Garrett7:33
3."Qing Wen"Kenny Garrett9:46
4."Realization (Marching Towards The Light)"Kenny Garrett6:10
5."Tsunami Song"Kenny Garrett4:47
6."Kiss To The Skies"Kenny Garrett9:40
7."Now"Kenny Garrett11:48
8."Gwoka"Kenny Garrett9:14
9."May Peace Be Upon Them"Kenny Garrett8:15

Personnel

Musicians

  • Kenny Garrett – alto saxophone (tracks 1–4, 6–9), piano (track 5)
  • Mulgrew Miller - piano (tracks 1–4, 6–9)
  • Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
  • Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone (tracks 3, 4, 6–8)
  • Robert Hurst III – bass
  • Brian Blade – drums
  • Rogerio Boccato – percussion (tracks 1, 3–8)
  • Jonathan Gandelsman – violin (track 5)
  • Neil Humphrey – cello (track 5)
  • Guowei Wang – erhu (track 5)
  • Susan Jolles – harp (track 5)
  • Nedelka Echols – vocals (tracks 3, 4, 6, 8)
  • Arlene Lewis – vocals (tracks 6, 8)
  • Dawn Caveness – vocals (tracks 6, 8)
  • Genea Martin – vocals (tracks 6, 8)
  • Geovanti Steward – vocals (tracks 6, 8)
  • Kevin Wheatley – vocals (tracks 6, 8)

Production

  • Kenny Garrett – producer
  • Steven Epstein – producer, engineer (mastering)
  • Todd Whitelock – engineer (mastering, mixing)
  • David Stoller – engineer (assistant)
  • Jason Stasium – engineer (assistant)
  • Timmy Olmstead – engineer (assistant)
  • Doyle Partners – design
  • Mark Anderson – photography
  • Barron Claiborne – photography (of Kenny Garrett)

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Work
2007 Nominated Grammy Award Best Jazz Instrumental Album Beyond the Wall

Chart positions

Chart Peak
position
Billboard Top Jazz Albums (2006)[13] 13

References

  1. 1 2 "Beyond the Wall by Kenny Garrett". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Kenny Garrett: Beyond the Wall". All About Jazz. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "Kenny Garrett: Beyond the Wall". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Kenny Garrett – Beyond the Wall – Nonesuch". Audiophile Audition. October 27, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Walters, John L. (December 6, 2006). "Kenny Garrett, Beyond the Wall". The Guardian. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 531. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  7. ↑ "Kenny Garrett". Recording Academy.
  8. ↑ "Four Nonesuch Albums Nominated for 2006 Grammy Awards". Nonesuch Records. December 6, 2006. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (September 15, 2006). "Kenny Garrett: Beyond the Wall". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  10. ↑ Kabran, Michael (May 13, 2012). "Kenny Garrett: Seeds from the Underground". PopMatters. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ Greenlee, Steve (November 1, 2006). "Kenny Garrett: Beyond the Wall". JazzTimes. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ Bellini, Lara (2006). "Kenny Garrett Beyond The Wall Review". BBC. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Billboard Jazz Albums, 2006". Billboard Magazine. 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
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