Jeff "Tain" Watts
Jeff "Tain" Watts | |
|---|---|
 Watts performing with Wynton Marsalis in JazzFest 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, actor |
| Instrument | Drums |
| Labels | Dark Key Music |
| Website | tainish |
Jeff "Tain" Watts is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others.
Biography
Watts got the nickname "Tain" from Kenny Kirkland when they were on tour in Florida and drove past a Chieftain gas station.[1] He was given a Guggenheim fellowship in music composition in 2017.[2] Watts attended Berklee College of Music, where he met collaborator Branford Marsalis[3].
Discography
As leader
- Megawatts (2004, originally recorded in 1991), Sunnyside;
- Citizen Tain (1999), Sony;
- Bar Talk (2002), Sony;
- DeTAINed at the Blue Note (2004), Halfnote;
- Folk's Songs (2007), Dark Key Music;
- WATTS (2009), Dark Key Music;
- Family (2011), Dark Key Music;
- Blue, Vol. 1 (2015), Dark Key Music;
- Wattify (2016), Dark Key Music;
- Blue, Vol. 2 (2016), Dark Key Music;
- Travel Band - Detained in Amsterdam (2018), Dark Key Music.
As sideman
- Heavy Blue (SteepleChase, 1980) - Larry Willis;
- Wynton Marsalis (1982) - Wynton Marsalis;
- 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;
- Hard Groovin' (Muse, 1989) - Ricky Ford;
- When Harry Met Sally... (1989) - Harry Connick, Jr.;
- Trio Jeepy (1989) - Branford Marsalis;
- Crazy People Music (1990) - Branford Marsalis;
- Mo' Better Blues Soundtrack (1990) - Branford Marsalis;
- Kenny Kirkland (1991) - Kenny Kirkland;
- The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1991) - Branford Marsalis;
- Terence Blanchard (1991) - Terence Blanchard;
- I Heard You Twice the First Time (1992) - Branford Marsalis;
- Bloomington (1993) - Branford Marsalis;
- The Dark Keys (1996) - Branford Marsalis;
- From Now On (1996) – Sonny Fortune;
- Songbook (1997) - Kenny Garrett;
- The Force (Qwest-Warner Bros., 1998) - Robert Stewart (saxophonist);
- Moving Pictures (RCA/BMG, 1998) – Ravi Coltrane;
- 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;
- Osteology (1999) - Conrad Herwig;
- 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;
- Tales Of Time And Space (2005) - Paul Grabowsky;
- 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: Live at Blues Alley (2011) - Pat Martino;
- My Witch's Blue (2012) - Makoto Ozone;
- The Seeker (2014) - Azar Lawrence;
- Christmas With Friends (2015) - India Arie/Joe Sample;
- Secret Rhymes (2015) - Troy Roberts;
- Movin' Forward (2015) - Robi Botos;
- Convergence (2016) - Warren Wolf;
- Leslie Odom Jr. (2016) - Leslie Odom Jr.;
- And To The Republic (2016) - ELEW.
Recognition
Grammy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Genre | Label | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group | Jazz | Nominated | |||
| 1999 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Requiem | Jazz | Columbia | Nominated | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 2000 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Contemporary Jazz | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 2004 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Eternal | Jazz | Marsalis Music | Nominated | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
Source:[4]
References
- ^ From an interview with Kevin LeGendre for Jazz On 3 on BBC Radio 3.
- ^ 2017 Guggenheim Fellow
- ^ Milkowski, Bill. "Jeff "Tain" Watts: The Reign of "Tain"". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ grammy.com. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jeff "Tain" Watts.
| International | |
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| National | |
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Categories:
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American jazz drummers
- African-American musicians
- Musicians from Pittsburgh
- Columbia Records artists
- Berklee College of Music alumni
- The Tonight Show Band members
- American session musicians
- 20th-century American drummers
- American male drummers
- Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Male jazz musicians
- Branford Marsalis Quartet members
- Sunnyside Records artists