After years of being heard primarily in commercial settings, Ernie Watts finally had an opportunity to record exactly what he wanted as a leader on this JVC CD. Watts, in a quartet with pianist Pat Coil, bassist Joel DiBartolo and drummer Bob Leatherbarrow, features his Coltrane-influenced tenor and a bit of alto and soprano on some group originals and standards (including "My One and Only Love" "Skylark" and "Body and Soul"). One of his finest recordings to date. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.
JVC Records, JLP-3309, 1988
JVC Compact Discs, 20052, 1991
Recorded 14th-15th December,
1987 at Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, California
Musicians:
Ernie Watts - Tenor, Alto
& Soprano Saxophones
Pat Coil - Piano
Joel DiBartolo - Bass
Bob Leatherbarrow - Drums
Tracks:
01. Language Of The Heart
{Bob Boykin, Ernie Watts} (4:53)
02. Continental Blues {Ernie
Watts} (5:29)
03. Echoes {Pat Coil, Ernie
Watts} (5:04)
04. My One And Only Love
{Robert Mellin, Guy Wood} (5:04)
05. On The Border {Ernie
Watts} (5:44)
06. Skylark {Hoagy
Carmichael, Johnny Mercer} (5:15)
07. A New Face {Bob
Leatherbarrow} (5:02)
08. Clockwise {Cedar Walton}
(5:42)
09. Body And Soul {Eyton,
Green, Heyman, Sour} (6:14)
10. One In Three {Bob
Leatherbarrow} (5:09)
11. Chelsea {Fats Waller}
(5:22)
Total Time: 59:04
Credits:
Producer - Ernie Watts, Akira
Taguchi, Takashi Misu
Recording Engineer - Don
Murray
Engineer Assistant - Michael
Kloster
Digital Editing - Hideo
Takada [JVC Studios, Tokyo]
Management - Nancy Meyer, The
Cameron Organisation, Inc.
Design: Dakos/Junker
Photography - Walter Mladina
Ernie Watts is the finest sax
player of the 21st Century
=========================================
The combination of
Watts and Coil is absolutely fantastic. The ballads are intricate, complex,
delicate, and soulful, with plenty of Wattsian originality and deep feeling.
The rough, hard core bop stuff would put Coltrane on his knees, begging for
mercy. This CD is absolutely delicious, and dripping with enthusiasm, soul, and
commitment. This may be the finest jazz CD ever recorded, and now you know why
it is perpetually "out of stock". There are 11 tracks here and you
can go nuts trying to figure out which ones are the best. It is amazing. It
sells for 9.95 but it's absolutely priceless. Be sure also to listen to Ernie
Watts on Charlie Haden's exquisite "Haunted Heart" and "Now is
the hour" CD's. Ernie Watts is a treasure. This is the very best Ernie
Watts CD hands down. You must have it. ~ Richard Everett, Amazon.com.
