| Jeff "Tain" Watts | |
|---|---|
Watts performing with Wynton Marsalis in JazzFest 2007 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | January 20, 1960 |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician, bandleader, actor |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Labels | Dark Key Music |
| Associated acts | Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis |
| Website | tainish.com |
Jeff "Tain" Watts is a jazz drummer born in 1960 who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, and others.
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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.
He got the nickname “Tain” from Kenny Kirkland when they were on tour in Florida and drove past a Chieftain gas station, so "Jeff Tain" for "Chief-tain".[1]
Watts has worked in the film and television industry as both a musician on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno for three years and as an actor, Rhythm Jones in Spike Lee’s Mo' Better Blues. Tain performed and recorded with the Branford Marsalis Quartet from 1985 - 2009. He currently performs with his own groups The Watts Project and the Jeff "Tain" Watts Quartet, as well as the great pianists McCoy Tyner, The George Cables Project, and Geri Allen. Watts started his own record label Dark Key Music in 2007, releasing Folk's Songs in 2007, Watts in 2009 and Family in 2011. Dark Key Music is a 2010 Grammy Award Winner: Best Instrumental Solo, Terence Blanchard for Dancin' 4 Chicken. As a composer, Watts is a creative and innovative force in modern jazz, contributing most of the compositions on his own albums.
He is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and can be seen on the album cover of Branford Marsalis' Braggtown with a Terrible Towel.
| Jeff "Tain" Watts Grammy History | ||||||
| Year | Category | Title | Genre | Label | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group | Black Codes From The Underground | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with Wynton Marsalis. |
| 1987 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group | J Mood | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with Wynton Marsalis. |
| 1988 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group | Marsalis Standard Time - Volume 1 | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with Wynton Marsalis. |
| 1988 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group | Trio Jeepy | Jazz | Columbia | Nominated | with Branford Marsalis |
| 1990 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group | Mo Better Blues (soundtrack) | Jazz | CBS | Nominated | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 1993 | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group | I Heard You Twice The First Time | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 1996 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | PanaMonk | Jazz | Impulse | Nominated | with Danilo Perez. |
| 1998 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Songbook | Jazz | Warner Bros. | Nominated | with Kenny Garrett. |
| 2000 | 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 | Time is of the Essence | Jazz | Verve | Nominated | with Michael Brecker |
| 2001 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Contemporary Jazz | Jazz | Columbia | Winner | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 2001 | Best Latin Jazz Album | Refugee | Jazz | Verve | Nominated | with Hector Martignon. |
| 2005 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Eternal | Jazz | Marsalis Music | Nominated | with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. |
| 2010 | Best Jazz Instrumental Solo | Watts | Jazz | Dark Key (Watts' label) | Winner | Terence Blanchard for the track "Dancin' 4 Chicken" |
| 2011 | Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group | Positootly! | Jazz | Resonance Records | Nominated | with John Beasley. |
| 2011 | Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album | Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard | Jazz | Mingus Workshop, Inc/Jazz Standard | Winner | with the Mingus Big Band |