Ernie Watts

Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts in 2008 Photo: Bob Travis
Background information
Birth name	Ernest James Watts
Born	October 23, 1945 (1945-10-23) (age 66) Norfolk, Virginia United States
Died	N/A
Genres	Jazz, rhythm and blues
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Saxophone, flute, clarinet
Labels	Motown, Tamla, Atlantic, Warner Bros., A&M, CBS, Qwest Records,
Associated acts	Charlie Haden
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Keilwerth Saxophones

Ernest James "Ernie" Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone (tenor, alto and soprano) and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist. He has also toured with The Rolling Stones, joining them on their 1981 tour and also appearing with them in the 1982 film Let's Spend the Night Together (film).

He is noted for playing "The Mystery Horn" (actually a Conn straight-necked C Melody Saxophone) solo on Frank Zappa's album The Grand Wazoo in 1972.

Biography

Watts was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He began playing saxophone at thirteen and later attended the Berklee College of Music on a Downbeat scholarship, after a brief period at West Chester University. He toured with Buddy Rich in the mid-1960s, occupying one of the alto saxophone chairs, with Lou Marini occupying the other. Later, he visited Africa on a US State Department tour with Oliver Nelson's group. Watts also played tenor saxophone with The Tonight Show Band under Doc Severinsen for 20 years. He also was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's original albums on Motown during the 1970s, as well as on many other pop and r&b sessions during 25 years as a first-call musician in the studios in LA. He has won two Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist.

In the mid-1980s Watts decided to rededicate himself to jazz. He recorded and toured with German guitarist and composer Torsten de Winkel, drummer Steve Smith and keyboardist Tom Coster. He was invited to join bassist Charlie Haden's Quartet West. Watts and Haden met when Haden heard Ernie play the Michel Columbier piece Nightbird (written for Watts) at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and Haden came backstage to meet Watts . Watts had earlier played the saxophone on the Grease soundtrack and clarinet on The Color Purple. He also played the saxophone on the opening theme song of the popular 80s sitcom Night Court.^[1]

Ernie Watts was also featured in the Windows XP edition Jazz preview. The song he was featured in was "Highway Blues". He plays black-lacquered Keilwerth SX90R saxophones, one of which can clearly be seen in the cover photograph of his 1995 "Unity" recording.^[2]

In early 2008, Watts' Analog Man on his own label Flying Dolphin Records won the award in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Album.^[3]

Recently he has recorded a new Quartet West album with Charlie Haden, and also works with vocalist Kurt Elling, whose album Dedicated To You, featuring Watts, won a Grammy in 2010 for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

He tours Europe twice a year with his own Ernie Watts Quartet, and is often a featured artist in Asia, as well as in summer jazz festivals the world over. His record company Flying Dolphin Records produces his own music with his US quartet as well as his European band.

Discography

As leader

• The Wonder Bag (Vault, 1972)
• Look In Your Heart (Elektra, 1980)
• Chariots Of Fire (Qwest, 1982)
• Musician (Qwest, 1985)
• Sanctuary (Qwest, 1986)
• The Ernie Watts Quartet (JVC, 1987 [1991])
• Afoxe with Gilberto Gil (CTI, 1991)
• Reaching Up (JVC, 1994)
• Unity (JVC, 1995)
• Long Road Home (JVC, 1996)
• Classic Moods (JVC, 1998)
• Reflections with Ron Feuer (Flying Dolphin, 2000)
• Alive (Flying Dolphin, 2004)
• Spirit Song (Flying Dolphin, 2005)
• Analog Man (Flying Dolphin, 2006)
• To The Point (Flying Dolphin, 2007)
• Four Plus Four (Flying Dolphin, 2009)
• Oasis (Flying Dolphin, 2011)

As sideman

With Billy Alessi and Bobby Alessi

• Words and Music (A&M, 1979)
• Long Time Friends (Qwest, 1982)

With Paul Anka

• Walk a Fine Line (CBS, 1983)

With Willie Bobo

• Tomorrow Is Here (1977)

With Donald Byrd

• Caricatures (Blue Note, 1976)

With Stanley Clarke

• Time Exposure (CBS, 1984)

With Billy Cobham

• Inner Conflicts (Atlantic, 1978)

With Randy Crawford

• Secret Combination (Warner Bros., 1981)

With Torsten de Winkel and Hellmut Hattler

• Mastertouch (EMI, 1985)

With Marvin Gaye

• Let's Get It On (Tamla, 1973)
• I Want You (Tamla, 1976)

With Charlie Haden

• Quartet West (Verve, 1986)
• In Angel City (Verve, 1988)
• The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Verve, 1989 [1999])
• Haunted Heart (Verve, 1991)
• Always Say Goodbye (Verve, 1993)
• Now Is the Hour (Verve, 1995)
• The Art of the Song (Verve, 1999)

With Bobby Hutcherson

• Head On (Blue Note, 1971)
• Linger Lane (Blue Note, 1975)
• Montara (Blue Note, 1975)

With Milt Jackson

• Memphis Jackson (Impulse!, 1969)

With Carole King

• Music (Ode, 1971)

With John Mayall

• Moving On (Polydor, 1973)

With Blue Mitchell

• Vital Blue (Mainstream, 1971)

With Moacir Santos

• Carnival of the Spirits (Blue Note, 1975)

With New Stories

• Speakin' Out* (1998)

References

External links

• Official website