Author: admin

The Music of George Garzone & The Triadic Chromatic Approach – 2 DVD Disc Set By Skip Spratt Jazz saxophonist, Berklee professor and Coltrane descendant George Garzone needs no introduction among the jazz faithful in...

In this day and age there are many copies and fewer originals. Philadelphian crooner Billy Ruth is and original. Having sung in virtually every venue within and around the City of Brotherly Love, Mr. Ruth has entertained...

Analog Man – Ernie Watts Quartet
To The Point – Live at The Jazz Bakery – Ernie Watts Quartet

We listeners go through periodic changes in our habits. There are our favorite recordings and then the things we purchase, check out and put on the shelf. Last year’s release from Ernie Watts Quartet, Analog Man has taken a prominent place on the passenger’s seat of my Jeep. It won’t be on my shelf any time soon!

In this day and age where we are deluged with sound, media content and general noise pollution, many of us retreat to the cab of our vehicles for quality listening time while driving. Not many Cds are stored in my car and the rotation seldom changes. Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker and John Coltrane Cd Jackets are commonly found sprawled among directions to gigs. Now Analog Man by Ernie Watts can be found among my favorites. Perhaps if I had a Cd changer, they would all be in there rather than on the front seat…

…Enough about my car – Ernie Watts has been a formidable presence among saxophone greats for decades. Although he has lived the history and understands tradition, he is a saxophonist for today. Despite his modern sound, Ernie Watts has often been heard to say, “I’m an analog man in a digital world.”

Analog Man sets sail on its title cut with a medium swing, hard groovin’ romp by the Ernie Watts Quartet. I am immediately reminded of how much I have enjoyed Ernie’s playing over the years and again how wonderful he sounds here.

Drummer Heinrich Koebberling starts off the second track Elements with solo drum introduction. Koebberling displays some colorful cymbal and tom work before laying down the up tempo swing which transforms into hard-bopping sparing session between him and Watts on tenor.  One can’t listen to this without hearing a bit of reverence to Trane and Elvin. I trust this is a comparison Watts and Koebberling don’t mind. Christof Saenger follows suit with a concise yet notable piano solo to finally be followed by the first melodic statement by Ernie Watts. Bassist Rudy Engel and tenor man Watts enjoy a bit of interplay before the second melodic statement. The composition is highly improvisational, daring and enticing to this listener. Lastly, Saenger and Watts play the song out with a contrapuntal improvisation section and Watts ultimately has the last word on this one – rightfully so.

Blueprints of Jazz Vol. 1, Mike ClarkBlueprints of Jazz Vol. 2, Billy HarperBlueprints of Jazz Vol. 3, Donald Bailey The three volume series entitled Blueprints of Jazz by Talking House Records was released back in 2006. Jazz...