Jeff "Tain" Watts
| Jeff "Tain" Watts | |
|---|---|
 Watts performing with Wynton Marsalis in JazzFest 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | January 20, 1960 |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, actor |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Labels | Dark Key Music |
| Associated acts | Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, The Tonight Show Band |
| Website |
tainish |
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.
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.
He got the nickname "Tain" from Kenny Kirkland when they were on tour in Florida and drove past a Chieftain gas station.[1]
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.
Discography
As leader
- 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
Recognition
Grammy Awards
- Career Wins: 6[2]
- Career Nominations: 15
| 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 |
References
- ↑ From an interview with Kevin LeGendre for Jazz On 3 on BBC Radio 3.
- ↑ Grammy Awards list Archived February 4, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jeff "Tain" Watts. |
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