Alvin Garrett is a bassist, songwriter, and producer who has easily switched between the contemporary R&B and gospel worlds. A native of Birmingham, Alabama who was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, he came up through Freestyle Nation and Just a Few Cats. The latter band featured Ruben Studdard, who employed Garrett as musical director following his solo breakout through American Idol. During the early 2010s, Garrett also collaborated with Jordan Knight, Johnny Gill, and Noel Gourdin. More prominently, he worked on Dove- and Grammy-nominated gospel recordings by Deitrick Haddon and Trin-i-tee 5:7. In 2012, Garrett self-released an album of slick contemporary R&B titled Expose Yourself, and continued to work behind the scenes with fellow artists. After contributions to recordings by Alexis Spight, Joe, and Nick Carter and Jordan Knight's Nick & Knight project, Garrett released a 2015 single, "By Myself," fronted by Studdard. ~ Andy Kellman