Kenny Garrett, who has played with everyone from Woody Shaw to Miles Davis, brings his exciting quartet to the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild tomorrow night for what promises to be an evening of sheer intensity.

Garrett last performed in Pittsburgh in 2002 as part of the Mellon Jazz Festival. He is a formidable alto and soprano saxophonist who is known for performing passionate and focused music.

Saturday night, most of the music is likely to focus on "Beyond the Wall," a recording dedicated to pianist MyCoy Tyner that explores everything from modal jazz to funk.

But Garrett will also perform new material, particularly works he's developing from China, where he spent some time teaching music and learning the language.

"I'm always experimenting with different styles and band configurations," said Garrett from his home in New Jersey. "When you start traveling around the world, you find that everything is connected, musically."

Garrett's Saturday-night performance will feature the organ. "I've never played a great deal with the organ," he continued. "The organ allows me to explore those spiritual elements of the music that I'm always searching for."

Growing up in Detroit, he listened to Motown, gospel and classical music. His father played tenor saxophone and was a huge fan of Maceo Parker, Joe Henderson and Pittsburgh's Stanley Turrentine.

After receiving an alto saxophone, Garrett studied with Billy Wiggins and later, Marcus Belgrave.

In the late 1970s, Garrett joined the Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Duke's son, Mercer. After a few years, he left Detroit for New York to join the Mel Lewis Orchestra and the Dannie Richmond Quintet.

In 1984, he recorded "Introducing Kenny Garrett." During this time, he also recorded and performed with bands led by Art Blakey, Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard.

Two years later, Garrett joined Miles Davis' band for a collaboration that lasted five years and produced four recordings.

Garrett has taken all of those lessons and now is leading his own groups and recording his own music.

"The core of my music has always been what I wanted it to be," said Garrett. "I've tried to be spiritual."

Garrett said he recorded "African Exchange Student" because he was envious of Africans who came to America to study and learn the culture. On "Pursuance," an album dedicated to the music of John Coltrane, Garrett said the idea was to get people to check out his subject.

"It was my interpretations of Coltrane's music," he said. "But the idea was to get people to go to the source."

Tomorrow night, Garrett will be the source, filling the room with intensely challenging music.