THE INFLUENCE OF KENNY GARRETT’S WORK ON CONTEMPORARY MUSICIANS

Abstract

The article examines the influence of Kenny Garrett’s work on the formation of performance and compositional strategies among early twenty- first-century musicians, as well as on the transformation of educational practices in jazz pedagogy. Research objective. The aim of the study is to identify the stylistic, rhythmic–textural, and ethical parameters of Kenny Garrett’s impact on contemporary musicians and to analyze its manifestations in the repertoire, improvisational language, and concert communication of younger generations. The paper considers examples of synthesizing post- bop, fusion, R&B, gospel, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms in the key albums Songbook, Seeds from the «Underground», «Pushing the World Away», «Do Your Dance!», «Sounds from the Ancestors», and «Who Killed AI?», as well as the reception of these models in the practices of European and North American ensembles. The methodology of the research is combines structural- analytical and comparative approaches; contextual analysis is supplemented by interviews and reviews that highlight the pedagogical and ethical dimensions of the musician’s work. The scientific novelty lies in systematizing Garrett’s multi-level influence-stylistic (modal-pentatonic constructions, ostinato grooves, contrastive dynamics), compositional (form-building based on cyclic riffs and hymn-like themes), communicative (the «listener’s journey» model), and pedagogical (mentorship as a «jazz workshop»). Conclusions. It has been established that the influence of Kenny Garrett’s work on contemporary musicians is manifested at several levels. First, it is a direct stylistic influence, enshrined in numerous transcriptions, educational materials and corpus studies of his improvisational language. Second, it is an aesthetic and spiritual reference point that offers a model for the synthesis of post-bop complexity, fusion energy and African-American spiritual tradition. Third, it is a socio- cultural influence associated with festival activities, pedagogical gestures and participation in global discussions about the place of jazz in modern culture. The combination of these dimensions gives grounds to speak of Garrett as one of the central figures in the transformation of jazz discourse at the beginning of the 21st century, whose work continues to shape young musicians’ ideas about possible scenarios for the development of improvisational music. Thus, Kenny Garrett’s work serves as a catalyst for the renewal of jazz discourse, sets standards for intonation expressiveness and ensemble interaction, legitimizes cross-genre syntheses, and shapes practices that become a support for modern performing and educational training. The results of the study can be used in teaching improvisation, analyzing contemporary styles, courses in ensemble work, and in developing repertoire in educational institutions.