jazzbo Posted September 23, 2004 Report Posted September 23, 2004 What does the assembled mass think. . . .What is the feeling about Ernie Watts. Can the man not play? Does the man not have a lovely sound? Quote
ghost of miles Posted September 23, 2004 Report Posted September 23, 2004 I was just enjoying Mr. Watts' sound half-an-hour ago as I played Gerald Wilson's version of "Equinox" on my Coltrane tribute program! Wasn't he a part of Quartet West as well? Quote
Harold_Z Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 That's it for Ernie? I'm surprised - I thought more people were digging him. If you haven'thecked him out - do so. The man can play. Yes, GOM, he was with Quartet West - and aquitted himself well. Quote
king ubu Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Don't know much of Watts recordings, but I love his playing on the one disc of the Quartet West I have. Should check out more... Quote
chris olivarez Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Count me in as another fan. Some people may not like Ernie because they view him as just a studio musician but that's irrelevant as far as I'm concerned because Ernie can play his ass off !!!!! Quote
John Tapscott Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I was really keen on Ernie back in the Quartet West Days. I haven't soured on his playing at all, just kind of forgot about him for a while. My favorite Watts is on Quartet West's "Always Say GoodBye." Right now I'm listening to Watts' "Unity" Cd on JVC. This is a good one and the music has a more aggressive feel than Quartet West (Geri Allen p, Eddie Gomez, b, Steve Swallow, elb, Jack DeJohnette d.) I also saw him live once guesting with a local big band. The man can play. Quote
jlhoots Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Yeah - his stuff on JVC is great. Quote
BFrank Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I have an album I picked up in the 70's on World Pacific Jazz that I still think is great. Ernie Watts Quartet - "Planet Love". After finding that I scrounged up a couple of cut-outs at the time: Richard Groove Holmes & Ernie Watts - "Come Together" (also on WPJ) and The Ernie Watts Encounter (on Vault) - "The Wonder Bag", a collection of Stevie Wonder tunes. Aside from some work he did with FZ, I haven't listened to his more recent work. Quote
EKE BBB Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Don't know much of Watts recordings, but I love his playing on the one disc of the Quartet West I have. Should check out more... Same here, Flurin: Quote
Jim R Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 What a coincidence- I never got around to it, but I was thinking about starting a thread on Watts today. I just picked up the Quartet West's "Haunted Heart" CD from 1992 (for the second time, in fact- I owned it several years ago and let it go), because I wanted to learn the title song. I have mixed feelings about Watts on this. I'm not that familiar with his playing otherwise, although I remember him from the (Johnny Carson) Tonight Show band. I'm in awe of his technique at times (especially on a couple of the difficult bebop themes), and I do enjoy some of his soloing on this CD, but I also get kind of a "smooth" sensation at times during his solos... not sure who to compare it to, since I avoid smooth jazz altogether. Anyway, that might be just a smidge unfair, as some of the licks frequently employed by smooth jazzers probably were derived from things they heard jazz players doing. Also, it may be that (for me at least) Watts' style is somewhat modern for the vintage tunes being played on this CD. I don't hear a great deal of personality in his playing here... but I only spun it once. Anyway, mixed feelings, but I intend to give it more time and attention. Quote
king ubu Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Don't know much of Watts recordings, but I love his playing on the one disc of the Quartet West I have. Should check out more... Same here, Flurin: Mine's this one: Quote
JSngry Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I best enjoyed Watts when he played alto w/Buddy Rich's band. It seemed like a good fit. Quote
jazzbo Posted September 24, 2004 Author Report Posted September 24, 2004 I'm going to have to look for that "Unity" --- what a band! Quote
JohnS Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Ernie's straight ahead recordings are fine with me. All his JVC cds worth a listen. In a similar vein there's a nice but easily overlooked cd by Bob Leatherbarrow with Watts "Bumpin' in the Basement" on Chartmaker. Quote
skeith Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I like him, particularly on the Quartet West stuff, but a lot of jazz fans seem to really despise the guy- and I can understand it, but I don't agree. Quote
John Tapscott Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I'm going to have to look for that "Unity" --- what a band! Lon, the search will be worth it. Inspired by this thread I listened to Unity last night for the first time in probably 5 years. I had forgotten how good it is. The band tears it up. And the blend/constrast/interplay of the two bassists works really well. Quote
Jim R Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Don't know much of Watts recordings, but I love his playing on the one disc of the Quartet West I have. Should check out more... Same here, Flurin: Mine's this one: ... and this is the one I posted about: I listened to it again, and I still come away with mixed feelings. I used the term "smooth" above, not even realizing Watts' ties to smooth jazz and smooth jazz artists. I've done a little reading online since, and now it makes more sense. I must say, the man is versatile, and very impressive at times, yet I have trouble with that smooth element. Maybe it belongs in a separate topic, but can anybody briefly encapsulate the evolution of smooth jazz (or "instrumental pop", as I once heard Wynton refer to Grover Washington) saxophone playing... the major names... who influenced whom... when it took place? I know Watts was born in 1945, and that he's been involved with big bands/large ensembles, and studio work, but that's about all I know. Incidentally, any decisions made by a musician of the caliber of Ernie Watts in terms of crossing "artistic boundaries" is 100% O.K. by me. I'm just making an observation, and trying to understand the big picture. Quote
JohnJ Posted October 5, 2004 Report Posted October 5, 2004 Love all the Quartet West releases, there is nothing else quite like them. Surprised however that nobody has mentioned Ernie Watts own CD 'Classic Moods', a quartet recording. For me, this is definitely his finest hour and clearly shows how much he has been influenced by Coltrane. The tracks are mostly his interpretations of classic ballads plus a few originals and the results are wonderful. Quote
sidewinder Posted October 5, 2004 Report Posted October 5, 2004 (edited) I best enjoyed Watts when he played alto w/Buddy Rich's band. It seemed like a good fit. I agree - hearing Buddy's Big Band version of 'Norwegian Wood' played on the radio last night demonstrated how good a fit Watts was in that band. Some great altoists in the Rich band of that period - Charles Owens, Art Pepper, Watts and Don Englert for starters. Those Rich PacJazz CDs kick ass ! Edited October 5, 2004 by sidewinder Quote
mikeweil Posted October 5, 2004 Report Posted October 5, 2004 I have an album I picked up in the 70's on World Pacific Jazz that I still think is great. Ernie Watts Quartet - "Planet Love". I heard a track from this on AFN radio when it was released, but never saw a copy of it. With his reputation, I don't get it that Cuscuna has overlooked this for reissue. I remember he sounded as engergized as Booker Ervin on that one. Quote
BFrank Posted October 5, 2004 Report Posted October 5, 2004 Well, maybe a bit like Booker.........but smoother (not in a bad way, either). Someone should re-issue this set, for sure. Quote
jazzbo Posted October 5, 2004 Author Report Posted October 5, 2004 I have picked up the "Unity" (non XRCD) cd and I really am enjoying it. I can hear the "smooth" thing but must say it's more a beautiful tone with Ernie to me than really "smoothening out" the jazz. . . . Quote
BFrank Posted October 5, 2004 Report Posted October 5, 2004 I really didn't mean "smooth" in the quiet storm kind of way. Only that he doesn't have the harsh tone of Ervin. Quote
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