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Jeff Tain Watts

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Genres
  
Jazz

Labels
  
Dark Key Music

Role
  
Musical performer

Instruments
  
Drums

Name
  
Jeff Watts

Movies
  
Mo' Better Blues

Jeff
Born
  
January 20, 1960 (age 64) (
1960-01-20
)

Origin
  
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US

Occupation(s)
  
Musician, bandleader, actor

Associated acts
  
Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, The Tonight Show Band

Education
  
Berklee College of Music, Duquesne University

Albums
  
Detained at the Blue Note, Bar Talk, Citizen Tain, Simply Music, Four MFs Playin' Tunes

Modern drummer festival 2011 jeff tain watts


Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, David Gilmore, Ravi Coltrane and others.

Contents

Jeff

Jazz drummer q tip lick of the week jeff tain watts


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.

Jeff

He got the nickname "Tain" from Kenny Kirkland when they were on tour in Florida and drove past a Chieftain gas station.

Jeff

Watts has worked in the film and television industry as both a musician on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for three years and as an actor, playing Rhythm Jones in Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. Watts performed and recorded with the Branford Marsalis Quartet from 1985 to 2009. He currently performs with his own groups The Watts Project and the Jeff "Tain" Watts Quartet, as well as with McCoy Tyner, The George Cables Project, and Geri Allen. In 2007 Watts started his own record label, Dark Key Music, releasing Folk's Songs in 2007, Watts in 2009 and Family in 2011. Terence Blanchard won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo for Dark Key Music's "Dancin' 4 Chicken". Watts writes most of the compositions on his own albums.

Watts is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and can be seen on the album cover of Branford Marsalis's Braggtown with a Terrible Towel.

As leader

Jeff
  • 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
  • Family (2011) Dark Key Music

    • As sideman

  • Scenes in the City (1983) - Branford Marsalis
  • Black Codes (From the Underground) (1985) - Wynton 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
  • Different Perspectives (JMT, 2989) - Robin Eubanks
  • When Harry Met Sally... (1989) - Harry Connick, Jr.
  • Trio Jeepy (1989) - Branford Marsalis
  • Crazy People Music (1990) - Branford Marsalis
  • The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1991) - Branford Marsalis
  • I Heard You Twice the First Time (1992) - Branford Marsalis
  • Bloomington (1993) - Branford Marsalis
  • The Dark Keys (1996) - Branford Marsalis
  • Songbook (1997) - Kenny Garrett
  • Two Blocks From the Edge (1998) - Michael Brecker
  • Time Is of the Essence (1999) - Michael Brecker
  • Simply Said (1999) - Kenny Garrett
  • Requiem (1999) - Branford Marsalis
  • Contemporary Jazz (2000) - Branford Marsalis
  • Footsteps of Our Fathers (2002) - Branford Marsalis
  • Romare Bearden Revealed (2003) - Branford Marsalis
  • Eternal (2004) - Branford Marsalis
  • Translinear Light (2004) - Alice Coltrane
  • A Love Supreme Live (2004) - Branford Marsalis
  • Channel Three (2005) - Greg Osby
  • Outside by the Swing (2005) - Chihiro Yamanaka
  • Braggtown (2006) - Branford Marsalis
  • Quartet (2007) - McCoy Tyner
  • Letter to Herbie (2008) - John Beasley
  • Metamorphosen (2009) - Branford Marsalis
  • Mostly Standards (2009) - David Kikoski
  • Positootly! (2009) - John Beasley
  • Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard (2010) - Mingus Big Band
  • Circles (2010) - Benito Gonzalez
  • Circular (2011) - Laura Kahle
  • Undeniable (2011) - Pat Martino

    • Grammy Awards

  • Career Wins: 6
  • Career Nominations: 15

    • Songs

    Mona Lisas
    Mo' Better Blues
    Another Day
    Harlem Blues
    Music Evolution
    Some Cow Fonque
    Vodville
    Mr JJ
    The Blossom of Parting
    The Mighty Sword
    Better Than I Am
    Farley Strange
    Brainlifter
    Blues for Mr Charley
    Flip & Dip
    Driva Man
    May 15 - 2011
    Wry Koln
    Faux Paul
    The Impaler
    Goldaze
    JC is the man
    Almost Twilight
    Positootly!
    My Witch's Blue
    Blutain's Big Adventure
    Sigmund Groid
    MLK Shake-Up Call
    Steppin' Zone
    Blutain - Jr
    Land of Shadow
    Osteology

    References

    Jeff "Tain" Watts Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA