Mango Tree Musician

Saxophonist Carlos Garnett, despite being blind in his later years, was an integral part of Miles Davis’ nonet. His pivotal roles extended beyond live performances to studio work during the “On the Corner” era in 1972. Though he was born in a community of laborers who worked for the Panama Canal Company, his talent and work ethic led him to perform with some of the world’s most notable musicians. Garnett’s upbringing had influences from various cultures, including Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados, which informed his later musical fusions.
This autobiography traces Carlos Garnett’s journey from his native, segregated town of Red Tank, now erased from modern maps. After establishing himself as a prominent musician in his homeland, Garnett left for Brooklyn, NY. There, he worked with Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Mingus, Andrew Hill, Mtume James, Norman Connors and of course, Miles Davis. Garnett’s original albums for Muse Records showcased his musical fusions, highlighting his talents as a composer, arranger, and instrumentalist.

The late Carlos Garnett was a Panamanian-born jazz saxophonist, a gifted soloist, composer and bandleader.
Jaime J. Ortiz is a Panamanian record collector, musician and writer. A big fan of Carlos Garnett since his teens, he produced Carlos’ final live jazz performance, and they became close friends ever since. He then convinced Carlos to start documenting his life works and is now considered his official biographer.

Carlos Garnett with Jaime J. Ortiz
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 222
Bibliographic Info: 35 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9024-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5505-5
Imprint: McFarland

Preface by Jaime J. Ortiz 1

Part 1. Panama Roots

Up from Paraíso 5

The Gay Crooners 14

Black Majesty 19

Isthmus Conquered 24

Up from Panama 25

The Baby Grand 28

Poughkeepsie Swinging 30

Leo Price Is Right 32

Guns of Freeport 38

Coughing Lungs 40

The Drug Dealer’s Girlfriend’s Sax 43

Willie Bobo and the Blue Coronet 44

Giggin’ with Freddie Hubbard 46

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers 51

Lifting My Voice with Andrew Hill 53

Messengers in Japan 55

Mingus Times 60

My African Queen 61

Roy Brooks 62

First Return to Panama 64

The Universal Black Force (UBF) 65

Miles Davis! 74

More with Norman Connors 83

Black Love 85

Journey to Enlightenment 92

Let This Melody Ring On 95

The Tony Silvester Era 99

Cosmos Nucleus: The Big Band Experiment 100

The Girl at the Warehouse 105

Mario Bauzá 106

The Kidney Stone 107

The New Love 109

Roland Alphonso at the Apache Restaurant 113

Downward Spiral 113

Part 2. Life After Life

The Miracle 117

The New York State Division for Youth 122

Black Eagles 123

A Note on ­Self-Defense 125

No Sax Carlos 126

Slow Cook Back 128

Resurgence 130

Fuego en Mi Alma 133

Much Change 135

Back to Van Gelder’s 137

Just Like Kenny G 138

Under Nubian Skies 141

The Trip to Jamaica 142

Jamaican Diabetes 145

“He Said” in Swahili 147

The Motherland via Ghana 148

Moon Shadow 149

Katy, Texas 150

Mighty Sparrow and Montego Joe 151

Back to Panama, Like Mother Wanted 153

Panama Jazz Festival 155

Who’s Got the Key? 157

Tearing Up the Festivals! 159

The Selecter 161

Oh No, Rubén 163

Ana, My Purum 164

Sonny Rollins, My Brother 165

“La Magnolia” 169

Sheila 169

If Joe Lovano Says So… 171

From Continent to Continent 172

A Panama Jazz Festival in My Name 173

Unlimited Creative Imagination 174

An Unforgettable Return to Japan 175

Shekinah’s Smile 178

“Derrame Leve” (Mild Stroke) 179

The Salvation Army 182

The Diggers Descendants 185

In the Latter Years… 187

Mr. G at the Anita Villalaz Theater 191

The Autobiography and the Pandemic 193

Let Us Go (To Higher Heights) 195

Index 203

• “I always admired how Carlos Garnett would take famous jazz melodies like Maiden Voyage and Giant Steps and with his Panamanian/latin rhythms make them his own. I look forward to reading his bio and finding out his secrets!”—Ron Carter, Grammy award winning jazz double bassist

• “Carlos Garnett was a musical visionary, an amazing musician who thought outside the box. My times with him were always culturally enriching as he traveled in international circles unknown to me at the time that we met in New York in the early 1970s. We socialized often at his Brooklyn apartment, where I remember rehearsing the vocals for the track ‘Banks of the Nile’ from his 1974 album ‘Black Love’, as well as being a part of his group ‘The Universal Black Force’. Carlos was warm, open, engaging, always soft spoken…he treated me, and all the women he interacted with, with the utmost respect. Carlos was a spiritual and nurturing soul and those characteristics were always reflected in his music.”—Dee Dee Bridgewater, American jazz singer and actress