Jeff "Tain" Watts is a jazz drummer who has performed with jazz greats such as Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, and many others.
Biography
Jeff “Tain” Watts holds the unique distinction of being the only musician to appear on every Grammy Award winning jazz record by both Wynton and Branford Marsalis.
He got the nickname “Tain” from Kenny Kirkland when they were on tour in Florida and drove past a Chieftain gas station, so "Jeff Tain" for "Chief-tain".[1]
Jeff has worked in the film and television industry as both a musician on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno for three years and as an actor, Rhythm Jones in Spike Lee’s Mo' Better Blues. Tain currently performs with the Branford Marsalis Quartet, McCoy Tyner, The George Cables Project, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and his own band "Tain & the Ebonix". As a composer, Jeff is a creative and innovative force in modern jazz, contributing most of the compositions on his own albums. Tainish.com is his official website.
He is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and can be seen on the album cover of Branford Marsalis' Braggtown with a Terrible Towel.
Discography
As leader
- Megawatts (2004, originally recorded in 1991)
- Citizen Tain (1999)
- Bar Talk (2002)
- DeTAINed at the Blue Note (2004)
- Folk's Songs (2007) Dark Key Music
- WATTS (2009) Dark Key Music
As sideman
- Scenes in the City (1983) - Branford Marsalis
- Live at Blues Alley (1986) - Wynton Marsalis
- Standard Time Vol. 1 (1986) - Wynton Marsalis
- Royal Garden Blues (1986) - Branford Marsalis
- Open House (1988) - Harry Miller
- Random Abstract (1988) - Branford Marsalis
- When Harry Met Sally... (1989) - Harry Connick, Jr.
- Trio Jeepy (1989) - Branford Marsalis
- Black Codes (From the Underground) (1999) - Wynton Marsalis
- Crazy People Music (1990) - Branford Marsalis
- The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1991) - Branford Marsalis
- I Heard You Twice the First Time (1992) - Branford Marsalis
- Bloomington (1993) - Branford Marsalis
- Dark Keys (1996) - Branford Marsalis
- Two Blocks From the Edge (1998) - Michael Brecker
- Time Is of the Essence (1999) - Michael Brecker
- Requiem (1999) - Branford Marsalis
- Contemporary Jazz (2000) - Branford Marsalis
- Footsteps of Our Fathers (2002) - Branford Marsalis
- Eternal (2004) - Branford Marsalis
- A Love Supreme Live (2004) - Branford Marsalis
- Braggtown (2006) - Branford Marsalis
- Quartet (2007) - McCoy Tyner
- Letter to Herbie (2008) - John Beasley
- Positootly! (2009) - John Beasley
References
- ^ From an interview with Kevin Legenre for Jazz On 3 on BBC Radio 3.
External links
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