African Exchange Student
| African Exchange Student | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studios New York | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 66:50 | |||
| Labels | Atlantic 7567-82156-2 | |||
| Producers |
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| Kenny Garrett chronology | ||||
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African Exchange Student is the fourth studio album by American jazz saxophonist Kenny Garrett, released by Atlantic Records in 1990.[1][2] It features a core quartet of Garrett on saxophone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, either Charnett Moffett or Ron Carter on double bass, and either Elvin Jones or Tony Reedus on drums, with various others on percussion.[3]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [4] |
In the AllMusic review by Scott Yanow, he stated that the album was "one of [Garrett's] strongest early sets as a leader", complimenting both the "lighthearted and adventurous" playing of Garrett and the strength of the rhythm section and concluding that "Kenny Garrett justifies the praise that he received from Miles Davis" (Garrett was a member of Davis's group at the time).[3] Zan Stewart, writing for the Los Angeles Times, described it as "modern acoustic, sans-frills stuff worthy of repeated airings ... with ideas and feeling, standing tall in a variety of contexts."[4]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Kenny Garrett except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ja-Hed" (contrafact of John Coltrane's "Impressions"[3]) | 5:57 | |
| 2. | "Mack the Knife" | 8:40 | |
| 3. | "African Exchange Student" | 9:18 | |
| 4. | "Someday We'll All Be Free" |
| 5:43 |
| 5. | "One World Through" | 1:37 | |
| 6. | "Straight Street" | John Coltrane | 4:57 |
| 7. | "Shaw" | 6:40 | |
| 8. | "Lullaby of Isfahan" | 6:10 | |
| 9. | "One Finger Snap" | Herbie Hancock | 6:15 |
| 10. | "Your Country-Ness" | 5:27 | |
| 11. | "Nostradamus" | 6:00 | |
| Total length: | 66:50 | ||
Personnel
[edit]Musicians
- Kenny Garrett – alto saxophone, flute (3), vocals (3)
- Mulgrew Miller (1–4, 6–11) – piano
- Charnett Moffett (1–4, 6, 9), Ron Carter (5, 7, 8, 11) – double bass
- Elvin Jones (5, 7, 8, 10, 11), Tony Reedus (1–4, 6, 9) – drums
- Rudy Bird (3, 4, 8), Steve Thornton (3, 4), Tito Ocasio (3, 4) – percussion
Technical
- Donald Brown – production
- James Nichols, Patrick Smith – engineer
- Vincent Caro – assistant engineer
- José Rodriquez – mastering
- Larry Freemantle – art direction
- Frank Moscati – photography
References
[edit]- ↑ "AFRICAN EXCHANGE STUDENT / アフリカン・エクスチェンジ・スチューデント". wmg.jp (in Japanese). February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Kenny Garrett". Kennedy Center. April 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Yanow, Scott. "African Exchange Student – Kenny Garrett | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- 1 2 Stewart, Zan (March 31, 1991). "ALBUM REVIEWS: *** 1/2 KENNY GARRETT: 'African Exchange Student': Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2026.