Charlie Haden Quartet West with string orchestra

[tvorchestvo2008]

-does Watts have one of the most distinctive tenor sounds in jazz? -yeah!

[lushlife4]

This guy has an amazing sound on alto too.

[SaXDuDe17]

I tried to hate Watt's tone.... For some reason it reminded me of bad 80's pop saxophone. But here I stand naked , without preconceptions, loving a modern tenor giant. Seriously though my tenor player is like 20 times better than yours.

[casch0101]

Ernie Watts is one of the truly great jazz musicians, one of the best tenors. His improvised lines flows like liquid in the aire with a wonderful sound. (An anecdote: He finished the 4-yr Berklee studies in only 2!. Unlike highly appraised Joe Lovano (also from Berklee), who owns a you-have-to-get-to-accept-it-d­espite-it-is-not-good sound and voice in the tenor, Ernie onws a beautiful sound at all registers.

[benjamintrb]

If you like this come check him out live when the University of Wisconsin- River Falls features him for the 2011 Jazz Festival we put on. February 25th @ 7:30 is the Jazz Matinee with Faculty and Ernie jazz combo, along with the UWRF Jazz-tet and Plus 1 Trio. February the 26th @ 7:30 we feature him with the UWRF Jazz Ensemble, playing some tunes written and arranged by and for Ernie. Should be some incredible live music that weekend.

[peppersax]

Ernie Watts continues to move upward. Great album. I'm definitely picking this up.  5 stars!!!

[mpcguy]

ernie watts has a remarkable ability to draw you into his sound and music. he has the magical quality of emotive singing tone with more technique than anyone needs and a distinct sense of when to use it and when to loose it. this is great from so many angles.... wonderful post ernie is the man!!!

[mikeos1]

I saw the Quartet West at the Nice festival in the 1980s. Got it on tape, maybe I'll put it up on Dimeadozen one day.

[RadicalRaul]

I have seen Ernie Watts perform many times, and each time was a jaw dropping experience.

Hopefully this phenomenal saxophonist will get the recognition he deserves.

[7passerby]

Man, you sound like on alto sometimes - awesome! I'm gonna cry...

[ksenos69]

I wish, I would hear this live.

[djmsalem]

This is one of my favorite songs, ever. And as much as I love this performance I have to say that the rendition on the CD "Now is the Hour" is much better because it's performed slower and in a way that's much more evocative of the noir sensibility that the song wants to convey. It's a sensational song, and if you listen to it on the CD it's easy (for me, at least) to be transported to a place I never knew. Thanks so much to donnythejazz for letting me see this in performance!

[pianist48]

Bravo!

[aihoschema]

Wonderful as always. His tone and emotion are such a gift. I love it when musicians have the skill and guts to go straight for the heart - and do it with such class. Ernie is one of the few who can do it.

BTW: a few days ago I watched the 1997 tv movie, the excellent remake of "12 Angry Men". When the end titles came I was blown away - I knew I was listening to the best. Then I read: ...performed by Quartest West: Sax: Ernie Watts. Yes!!! Im so glad that some people have great musical taste!

[henkokwithoutherbie]

This is fantastic. It makes my flesh creep.

[romamruin]

Beautiful Music - for all you beautiful people out there! Don't ever change! Luv you people - lets all meet someday soon in the Colloseum of Creativity.

My man - Lawrence Marabele on the tubs - keepin' it tight - Dat Rite - Check yor baggage - C'mon!

[MAJORSNODGRASS]

Quote from "Parkers Mood" at 2:40.

[Hyggestund]

This is good jazz from heart to heart!

Rolf Hugo

Bergen - Norway

[NOUCHINI]

26 le signe du très haut!!!!!

[fdemar]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[cristalinaism]

Thank you, donnythejazz, for this wonderful clip.

Quartet West has a unique sound and I simply love it:

[paolomannelli]

Bravo Ernie!

[sassieable]

I totally agree! I joined his masterclass as an absolut beginner on the alto. He's a great teacher,  a very inspiring person and a wonderfull musician!

[iltulipano]

I've had the honour and great pleasure to translate Ernie Watts' one week masterclass at the conservatory of Palermo (IT) and even to play with him at the concert. What makes him even more admirable is his friendliness and humility, also with all the students. A great great musician in all senses! Thanks for posting.

[hafuchie]

Still makes my lip quiver and my heart skip a beat, and I've listened to it dozens of times.

My goodness can that Ernie Watts blow the sax with that distinctive, heart-stopping voice on tenor. What a gift he is to music.

Thank you so much for posting this. Please post others like it if you can. So many of us love it.

[donnythejazz]

I posted this because I personally thought it was an exquisite piece of music making. I am thrilled that so many people agreed with me. Just four master musicians with a lovely string orchestra playing a lovely arrangement of a superb melody.

Watts is just superb, one of the most distinctive and emotive tenor sounds ever in jazz and I've been listening for 60 years..

[Andrewsaxy]

First listened Watts on LP Planet Love,grandiozo! This clip is very bad. Pardon...

[Hwywsik]

He uses a custom Otto Link 13, I spoke with him years ago and he uses plastic reeds, incredible player.

[valquirivideo]

How can he be a great player if he plays with a plastic "reed".

[badbirch4]

he'll kick your ass, that for sure.

[notgoneconform]

lmao

[deepkeel65]

Because he has talent and gobs of chops and has been around long enough to have paid his dues and absorbed a great deal of jazz and other music and puts it all together as all great players do to create his very own sound. Bagpipe players also now use mostly plastic reeds and thank God for them. He's also using a metal mouthpiece - that's not "tradition" either. Open your mind just a bit and just LISTEN.

[Funkenhm]

do we know which mouthpiece Watts uses?

[donnythejazz]

No, that was the late Roland Kirk.

[xximcrazyxxuloveitxx]

isnt he the dude who can play 3 saxophones at once?

[lenniethedogsparty]

Fantastic posting - thanks. Sure he does...

[mastersgta1]

Ernie Watts knows how to shred a saxophone holy cow! And he almost always plays at the highest register possible on the tenor. When I first heard him on a recording I thought he was playing an alto.

[synanthony]

Does Watts have one of the most distinctive tenor sounds in jazz?

Yes. It's freaking fantastic!

[pong224]

what song is this?

[donnythejazz]

Come on pong224. Not only did I put the info about the tune at in the box next to the video, it actually tells you what the tune is about 30 seconds in to the video. Have you actually watched it?

[romolojazz]

favoloso

[biffon69]

this music is exquisite!! it makes me go weak at the knees!!

[NaeWea]

Superb.

Everything that jazz should be:

Beautiful, moving, engaging, deep, skillful, sophisticated, sexy and classy.

An inspired composition masterfully arranged and executed.

It's no wonder this video has had so many thousands of viewings.

One cannot recommend 'Now is the Time', the album from which this piece comes from, highly enough. The mesmerizing gem, the track 'The left Hand of God', is a master-class in that rarest of gifts -- that of saying more by playing less.

C L A S S !

[vegandragon]

Ernie is ok but Grover could blow him out in a Heatbeat....RIP Grover

[donnythejazz]

Oh, here we go. My tenor player is better than yours.

I'm sure that Grover was great (although his playing hardly rocked my boat) but Watts is just sublime in SO MANY settings.

I thought that I put this video up to give pleasure to music lovers. I didn't realise that it was a competition.

[doddsalfa]

So,Why didn't Haden choose Grover?

[galfredos]

who's the pianist ? he's great !!

[chmrg66]

alan broadbent. great sensiblity, isn't it?

[galfredos]

yes

[doddsalfa]

True,hes great.

[bobjackson]

Does Watts have one of the most distinctive tenor sounds in jazz? HECK YES!!!!

[robertojimenez204]

That's beautful! Does anybody knows the name of this song?

[tenorite]

His sax plays with heart

[EvanAllen91]

Ernie Watts is too good.

[klassiekerrally]

Check out Charlie Hadens Quartet West - Bay City: awesome and in my deck for weeks now.

[FlowJazz]

Ernie can be low volume, soft and everything.. But in a minute, turn into a huge full sound ! Amazing sax player

[Saxobari]

Anyone would know what mpc is using Mr Watts ?

Thanks

Mario

[stevesabor]

He uses a Phil Barone

[Tenormania]

looks like a claude larkey. THink I spelt it right.try the one I use rovner very nice #9or10

[triads99]

Hey Mario! How have you been? Ernie plays an old Otto Link that was modified by Phil Barone. It's a .160 opening!! And soft fibercane reeds (no longer made). Hope all's well with you!

Josh

[Saxobari]

Hey Josh,man also how are you,and hope you are still blowing that great tenor of yours!

I am good,thanks about his gear,he sounds fantastic,he is a mongster!So that is a Link refaced!!I am still on Ponzol IIVI 110,but also been on a Barone Hollywood 8 which is very nice too!

TAke care Josh C

Mario

[Sweatybus]

I just saw Mr. Haden in London - I love his respect for simple, traditional and beautiful chord sequences.

[donnythejazz]

Thank you everyone for your comments regarding this video I posted on YouTube, more intelligent than any I've seen on YouTube thus far. But the thanks are to to Charlie and his band especially Ernie Watts and the wonderful string orchestra.

Your comments make the uploading worthwhile.

[Thenicekid0618]

I went to concert of his quartet in Memphis and it was absolutely amazing. The reason for his rich sound beside technique and skill is the 8 thousand instrument he blows. I believe that you have to spend a lil money to be the best at what you do.

[sonorousmass]

If you are talking about Ernie, I guarantee he could have shown up with a bundy and you would have been equally blown away. 95%+ is him, the horn is a small part of the equation.

[hafuchie]

Swingbop, you said it: Ernie's got it ALL - sound, technique, style, sensitivity, and a distinctive voice all his own. Unrivalled, he remains my absolute favorite.

[Saxobari]

Tahnks for posting this encredible video of Ernie,,that is just beautifulllllllllllll

MArio from Canada

[sezom]

does anybody has that full video?

I asked for it, but ZDF (3Sat) wants 45,00 EUR for it... :-(

[swingbop]

Quartet West holds a special place in jazz.Ernie Watts has the distinctive voice on tenor that only the greatest possess and few today come close as technique seems more important than tone....Ernie has it ALL. from Swingbop

[apostro]

Great, wonderful and awesome

you feel that he feels

Great - Wow

for those who like Jazz, listen also to Petrucciani on ANKHATON

[artpazz]

didnt ernie record with the grp band

[wigly7]

yup

[wigly7]

he plays that big solo on round midnight

[robertojimenez204]

Thank you! As a saxophone player and an Ernie's fan I Will treasure this video... this music go straight to your heart!

[Belchocsalsa]

I saw them yesterday at the Blue Note festival in Gent. WONDERFUL. Charlie mentioned a composition recorded in 57 called 'Lonely Woman'. Can anyone please help me find that song. Many Thanks

[psychopatwick]

It was a song he played with Ornette Coleman as far as I'm aware. I was at the gig too, fantastic! did you get the name of the drummer? I dont think it was the same as the one above, he was mind blowing though!

[euskir]

You can find the original version from "Lonely woman" on Ornette Coleman's "The shape of jazz to come" (Atlantic, 1959).

[jojobrouwer]

I like this for many reasons: Charlie Haden, one of teh best, Ernies beautiful sound and also his choice of notes which comes from a different place than for example Mike Brecker. But it's also nice with the love for these old songs that you don' hear so much. Thank you!

[Memo2Self]

Absolutely gorgeous. I love this band -- "Haunted Heart" is one of my Desert Island CDs -- and it's a joy to see some video of the quartet at last. Please post more!

[donnythejazz]

Thanks for the comments, I would agree it is a Desert Island pick for me too. I'll try to post some more if I can reduce them enough to fit.

[kurtsnyder]

That's funny you say that about the Haunted Heart CD. I feel the same way. I've listened to it hundreds of times and I still get that feeling I got the first time I heard it... great stuff!

[Bnolenii]

Yes I agree, please try to post some more...Ernie is highly under rated!

[MAJORSNODGRASS]

Achingly beautiful.

[pinkdiiamonds]

thank god for jazz

[Harmonick]

Perfect

[arredor]

Than you for this music.

[donnythejazz]

Thank you. I must admit I just love this performance. It is an exquisite 5 minutes of music making. I must try and put some more of this gig up if it will fit.

[donnythejazz]

Thank you FellsiderMan, it is good though isn't it, although you sound awfully like my son.

[FellsiderMan]

Very impressed! Much better sound and picture than most other things I've seen here.

[eddieoff]

Hey, this is beautiful. I think Ernie is interesting since his ideas is not derived from the bebop bag primarily. I also really like Charlie Haden. Thanks for posting!

[donnythejazz]

I'll try and post some more from this gig, although the 10 min 100MB limit makes it difficult.

[bjpro21]

Marvelous playing by all. I think Ernie is great and Alan Broadbent has always been one of my favorite piano players.

bjpro21

[donnythejazz]

Thanks. With yours as the first anly comment comment, I thought for a moment that I was the only person to enjoy his playing. There's one bit just after Ernie starts playing that one of the girl violinists gives Ernie a look as though she's thinking "what a beautiful sound".

[triads99]

Do you have any more Ernie and/or Quartet West clips?

[triads99]

Ernie really does have one of the most unique voices on the saxophone and he really shines when he's playing melodies like this. Thanks for sharing the video!