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Ernie Watts Quartet

 

Monday, 2012 August 13th, 8 PM

Dzintari Concert Hall

 

Jazz music

 

Ernie Watts Quartet

 

 

 

Two Grammy  winner

Ernie Wattssaxophone

&

Rudi Engelacoustic bass
Heinrich Koebberling
drums

Christof Saenger – piano

 

Because he was involved in many commercial recording projects from the mid-'70s through the early '80s and on an occasional basis ever since, some observers wrote Ernie Watts off prematurely as a pop/R&B tenorman. Actually, Watts' main hero has always been John Coltrane, and his later work reveals him to be an intense and masterful jazz improviser who has developed his own sheets-of-sound approach along with a distinctive and soulful sound. After attending Berklee, he had an important stint with Buddy Rich's big band before moving to Los Angeles. Watts worked in the big bands of Oliver Nelson and Gerald Wilson, recorded with Jean-Luc Ponty in 1969, and became a staff musician for NBC, performing with the Tonight Show Band on a regular basis. His own records of the 1970s and early '80s were generally pop-ish (1982's Chariots of Fire was a big seller), and Watts played frequently with Lee Ritenour and Stanley Clarke, in addition to recording with Cannonball Adderley (one of his idols) in 1972. However, Ernie Watts' work became much more interesting from a jazz standpoint starting in the mid-'80s when he joined Charlie Haden's Quartet West and started recording no-nonsense quartet dates for JVC. Ernie Watts has developed into one of the most powerful of tenormen with complete control over his horn and the ability to bring intensity and passion (plus taste) to any musical situation. (Scott Yanow, All Music Guide)

While on tour in the mid-‘90s, Watts had the opportunity to play with pianist Christof Saenger and a bond was created. With Rudi Engel on acoustic bass and Heinrich Koebberling on drums, these four musicians have merged into a cohesive unit, creating a solid platform for Watts’ creative force. "Our history together has helped evolve the music we perform," says Watts, "We communicate effortlessly, and instead of four voices we have created a group voice."


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13.08.2012  20:00
Dzintari Concert Hall

Ernie Watts Quartet
Ernie Watts Quartet

 

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