Alvester Garnett

Alvester Garnett is a drummer whose swinging, responsive playing has anchored bands led by some of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz. Born in 1970 in Richmond, Virginia, he earned a degree in jazz studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993 and placed in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drum Competition in 1992. Within months of graduating he moved to New York, where he worked in Betty Carter's trio and spent more than two years in Abbey Lincoln's quartet. From 1998 he toured widely with violinist Regina Carter and saxophonist James Carter, and his roster of collaborators includes Clark Terry, Pharoah Sanders, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Benny Golson, and Cyrus Chestnut. Based in Brooklyn, he also teaches at Montclair State University and with the Jazz House Kids program.