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About Garrett Waite

Deliberately shunning category and genre, Garrett's music features memorable melodies, psychedelic textures, and virtuosic improvisations. Not quite rock, not quite jazz, his compositions harken back to the fusion explorations of Return to Forever as well as songwiters like Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, with a forward-looking approach drawing on alternative and psychedelic rock acts like Radiohead and Khruangbin. A passion for world music infuses sounds from the Amazon, Caribbean, and Middle East.

 

Garrett has been a strong presence in the Milwaukee music scene since 2022, adding his versatile playing to original acts such as Match Stick, Craig Baumann & the Story, Mitch Shiner’s Latin Vibes, and Day Tvvo in addition to his own original projects. He runs a monthly jam session at Bar Centro.

Find out more about upcoming performances here.

 

Garrett graduated with Honors and a Division Achievement Award from Berklee College of music, which he attended with scholarship. He was a finalist in the Wilson Center Guitar Competition (Jazz Division, 2018), and won 1st Place in the NATS singing competition (Classical Division, 2015). In 2022 he was an Artist in Residence at the historic Jazz Estate. He is endorsed by Donmoyer Guitars and House Guitars

Some of his notable teachers include Jack Grassel, JoAnne Brackeen, Kenny Werner, Terence Blanchard, Mick Goodrick, Kenn Fox, Mike Stern, David Fiuczynski, Bryan Sutton, and David Tronzo.

He has shared the stage with internationally and/or locally known legends such as Jack Grassel, Kenny Werner, Nicholas Payton, Jamie Breiwick, Devin Drobka, Joey Blake, Steve Grimm and Craig Evans (of Bad Boy), Cecilio Negron Jr., Mitch Shiner, Craig Baumann, and the People Brother's Band.

  • Endorsed by House Guitars                                                                               2023

  • Released duo record with Kenn Fox "Maple Avenue"                                      2022

  • Endorsed by Donmoyer Guitars                                                                        2022

  • Artist in residence at the Jazz Estate                                                                 2022

  • Division Achievement Award from Berklee Guitar Department                      2020

  • Released EP "Whatever It Is"                                                                            2019

  • Wilson Center for the Arts Guitar Competition (Jazz division finalist)            2018

  • Scholarship to Berklee College of Music                                                          2016

  • Recipient of the KMHS Renaissance Award                                                     2016

  • Tommy Award recipient: Outstanding Lead Performer                                    2016

  • National Association of Teachers of Singing competition (1st Place Classical Division, 2nd Place Musical Theater Division)                                                2015

  • Released album And We Watched produced by Kenn Fox and mastered by Vinny Millevolte                                                                                                          2012

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