Alvester Garnett

Biography

Three months after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Instrumental Performance/Jazz Studies, Alvester Garnett received a call coincidentally on the same day from both Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln to come to New York for auditions. After moving to New York, he worked with Betty Carter’s trio briefly while simultaneously becoming a member of Abbey Lincoln’s quartet for over 2 years. He was also a member of Cyrus Chestnut’s trio for over two years before returning to working with Abbey Lincoln’s Quartet in 1998 for a brief while. The latter half of 1998 saw Mr. Garnett touring extensively with both Regina Carter and James Carter. He has been a member of Regina Carter’s stylistically varied bands from 1998 until the present.

Mr. Garnett was the principal percussionist with The Jazz @ Lincoln Center All Stars on the Tony nominated Broadway production of the reimagining of Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Parade entitled After Midnight. In this production he provided the heartbeat of the show for a 17-piece big band, over 20 dancers, singers and actors as well as guest stars including, Fantasia Barrino, K.D. Lang, Toni Braxton, Vanessa Williams and Patti LaBelle.

In 2016 Mr. Garnett was the principle drum set percussionist on the Tony Winning ‘Shuffle Along on Broadway’ detailing the story behind the groundbreaking 1921 musical originally created by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle.

Mr. Garnett can also be heard regularly performing and recording for more than 17 years in McArthur Genius & Doris Duke Award winner Regina Carter’s various ensembles and recording projects. Mr. Garnett’s musical versatility can be heard as of late stoking the fire in NEA Latino Jazz Master Papo Vasquez’s Big Band and Pirates Troubadours ensembles performing Afro Puerto Rican Bomba & Plena Jazz on various albums and live concert performances.

Mr. Garnett served as an appointee to the Executive Board of Local 802 NYC from Fall of 2017 to 2019. In 2018 he was also appointed by the NY City Council to the NYC Nightlife Advisory Board as compliment to The Mayor’s Office of Nightlife.

Mr. Garnett has also taught extensively for nearly 10 years as part of the Teaching Artist faculty of The New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Arts Education program as well as The Jazz House Kids program of Montclair, NJ.

Since 1993 Mr. Garnett has toured professionally and extensively on every continent of the planet except Australia. He has also worked and/or recorded in the bands of many other great artists. The list has included includes, Roy Hargrove, Ellis Marsalis, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Houston Pearson, Dianne Reeves, James Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Thomas, Cyrus Chestnut, Steve Turre, Kevin Mahogany, Clark Terry, Al Grey, Pharaoh Sanders, Teddy Edwards, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Hicks, Milt Hinton, John and Jeff Clayton, Camille Thurman, Benny Green, Brad Leali, Sherman Irby, Bruce Barth, Eric Reed, Wycliffe Gordon, Marcus Printup, Greg Osby, Wes Anderson, Jackie Terrason, Charenee Wade, Ronald Westray, and the Richmond Symphony.