Since the 1980s, Kenny Garrett has been one of the most influential alto saxophonists on the jazz scene, a virtuoso and melodist at the same time, with an unmistakable dull radiant tone. With "Sounds From The Ancestors" he embarks on a journey into his family past, honoring the sounds of his African ancestors and reciting prayers and songs sung while working in the fields. Garrett's feeling for melodic phrasing flows in wonderfully easily, and with his look into the past he also influences the future sound of jazz. Garrett wanted to pick up on the sounds of his childhood, he says. "Sounds that build you up like John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", but also those of Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace", Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and the spiritual side of the church. This spirit of his ancestors is reflected in his multifaceted saxophone playing, which is urgent or gentle depending on the situation, ingratiating and ecstatic, colouring each note individually, bringing together the atmosphere of church services, prayers and the musical tradition of the Yorubas, especially in the thoughtful title track. Kenny Garrett reflects the impact of West African music on jazz, gospel, soul and hip-hop in an atmospherically intense way and in his very own interpretation. Just like his mentor Miles Davis, in whose 80s band he achieved world fame, he is someone who always looks ahead despite all retrospectives.

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