Ernie Watts

Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' The Grand Wazoo'' he played the "Mystery Horn", a straight-necked C melody saxophone. He played the notable saxophone riff on " The One You Love" by Glenn Frey.

Biography

Watts was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and began playing saxophone at thirteen. After a brief period at West Chester University, he attended the Berklee College of Music on a '' Down Beat'' magazine scholarship. He toured with Buddy Rich in the late-1960s, occupying one of the alto saxophone chairs. He visited Africa on a U.S. State Department tour with Oliver Nelson's group. For twenty years he played alto saxophone with The Tonight Show Band under Doc Severinsen. He was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's albums on Motown during the 1970s, as well as on many other pop and R&B sessions during his twenty-five years as a studio musician in Los Angeles. He has won two Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist.

In the mid-1980s Watts decided to rededicate himself to jazz. He recorded and toured with German guitarist and composer Torsten de Winkel, drummer Steve Smith, and keyboardist Tom Coster. He was invited to join Charlie Haden's Quartet West. They met backstage one night after Haden heard Watts play "Nightbird" by Michel Colombier. Watts played on soundtracks for the movies '' Grease'' and ''The Color Purple'' and on the theme song for the TV show '' Night Court''.

In 1982, his version of "Chariots of Fire" was featured in the Season 4 episode of ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' ("The Creation of Venus") as Andy Travis and Venus Flytrap are playing games in the studio when Momma Carlson walks in and surprises them.

He was featured in one of Windows XP's sample music, "Highway Blues" by New Stories.
In 1986, he visited South America with the Pat Metheny Special Quartet, alongside Charlie Haden and Paul Wertico, playing at Shams in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 2008, his album ''Analog Man'' won the Independent Music Award for Best Jazz Album. He played on Kurt Elling's album ''Dedicated to You'', which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2011.

Discography

As leader

* ''Planet Love'' (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
* ''The Wonder Bag'' (Vault, 1972)
* ''Look in Your Heart'' ( Elektra, 1980)
* ''Chariots of Fire'' ( Qwest, 1982)
* ''Musician'' (Qwest, 1985)
* ''Sanctuary'' (Qwest, 1986)
* ''The Ernie Watts Quartet'' (JVC, 1987 991
* ''Afoxe'' with Gilberto Gil ( CTI, 1991)
* ''Reaching Up'' (JVC, 1994)
* ''Unity'' (JVC, 1995)
* ''Long Road Home'' (JVC, 1996)
* ''Classic Moods'' (JVC, 1998)
* ''Reflections'' with Ron Feuer (Flying Dolphin, 2000)
* ''Alive'' (Flying Dolphin, 2004)
* ''Spirit Song'' (Flying Dolphin, 2005)
* ''Analog Man'' (Flying Dolphin, 2006)
* ''To The Point'' (Flying Dolphin, 2007)
* ''Four Plus Four'' (Flying Dolphin, 2009)
* ''Oasis'' (Flying Dolphin, 2011)
* ''A Simple Truth'' (Flying Dolphin, 2014)
* ''Wheel of Time'' (Flying Dolphin, 2016)
* ''Home Light'' (Flying Dolphin, 2018)

With Karma
*''Celebration'' (Horizon/A&M, 1976)
*''For Everybody'' (Horizon/A&M, 1977)Karma - For Everybody (LP liner notes). Horizon/A&M Records. SP-723

As sideman

With the GRP All-Star Big Band
* '' GRP All-Star Big Band'' (GRP, 1992)
* ''Dave Grusin Presents the GRP All-Star Big Band Live!'', (GRP, 1993)
* ''All Blues,'' (GRP, 1995)
With Jean-Luc Ponty
*''King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa'' (World Pacific/Liberty,1970)
With Steely Dan
*''Countdown to Ecstasy'' (ABC Records, 1973)
With Gamalon
*''Project: Activation Earth'' (Amherst Records, Inc.,1989)
With Billy Alessi and Bobby Alessi
* ''Words and Music'' ( A&M, 1979)
* ''Long Time Friends'' (Qwest, 1982)
With Gene Ammons
* '' Free Again'' ( Prestige, 1971)
With Paul Anka
* ''The Music Man'' (United Artists, 1977)
* ''Walk a Fine Line'' (CBS, 1983)
With Willie Bobo
* '' Tomorrow Is Here'' (1977)
With Brass Fever
* '' Time Is Running Out'' ( Impulse!, 1976)
With Kenny Burrell
* ''Both Feet on the Ground'' (Fantasy, 1973)
With Donald Byrd
* '' Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C.'' (Elektra, 1979)
With Jennifer Holliday
* '' Get Close to My Love'' (Geffen, 1987)
With Dion DiMucci
* '' Streetheart'' (Warner Bros., 1976)
With Lee Ritenour
* ''Friendship'' ( JASRAC, 1979)
* ''Stolen Moments'' ( GRP, 1989)
With David Axelrod
* '' Earth Rot'' ( Capitol, 1970)
With Donald Byrd
* '' Caricatures'' ( Blue Note, 1976)
With Joe Cocker
* '' Have a Little Faith'' (550 Music, 1994)
With Boz Scaggs
* ''Slow Dancer'' (Columbia Records, 1974)
* ''Down Two Then Left'' (Columbia Records, 1977)
With Stanley Clarke
* ''Time Exposure'' (CBS, 1984)
With Gloria Gaynor
* ''Stories'' (Polydor, 1980)
With Sarah Vaughan
* '' Brazilian Romance'' (CBS, 1987)
With Aaron Neville
* ''The Grand Tour'' (A&M Records, 1993)
With Bill Withers
* '' Making Music'' (Columbia, 1975)
* ''Watching You Watching Me'' (Columbia, 1985)
With Natalie Cole
* '' Don't Look Back'' (Capitol, 1980)
With Randy Crawford
* '' Secret Combination'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1981)
With James Taylor
* '' In the Pocket'' (Rhino Records, 1976)
With Rickie Lee Jones
* '' Rickie Lee Jones'' (Warner Bros., 1979)
With Paul McCartney
* '' Pipes of Peace'' (Parlophone Records, 1983)
With Kurt Elling
* '' Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman'' (Concord, 2009)
With Patti Austin
* ''Patti Austin'' (Qwest Records, 1984)
* '' The Real Me'' (Qwest Records, 1988)
* ''Love Is Gonna Getcha'' (GRP, 1990)
With Dionne Warwick
* ''Love at First Sight'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
With Bob Seger
* ''Like a Rock'' (Capitol Records, 1986)
With Deniece Williams
* ''This Is Niecy'' (Columbia, 1976)
* ''I'm So Proud'' (Columbia, 1983)
With Marvin Gaye
* '' Let's Get It On'' (Tamla, 1973)
* '' I Want You'' (Tamla, 1976)
With Christopher Cross
* ''Another Page'' (Warner Bros., 1983)
* ''Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)'' (Arthur - The Album. Warner Bros., 1981)
With Maria Muldaur
* ''Southern Winds'' (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Dizzy Gillespie
* '' Free Ride'' ( Pablo, 1977)
With Gino Vannelli
* '' Brother to Brother'' (A&M Records, 1978)
With Benny Golson
* '' Killer Joe'' (Columbia, 1977)
With Aretha Franklin
* '' You'' (Atlantic, 1975)
With Michael Franks
* '' Burchfield Nines'' (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Bonnie Raitt
* '' Takin' My Time'' (Warner Bros., 1973)
With Cheryl Lynn
* '' Cheryl Lynn'' (Columbia Records, 1978)
With Charlie Haden
* ''Quartet West'' ( Verve, 1987)
* '' The Private Collection'' (Naim, 1987–88 000
* '' In Angel City'' (Verve, 1988)
* '' The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra'' (Verve, 1989 999
* '' Haunted Heart'' (Verve, 1992)
* '' Always Say Goodbye'' (Verve, 1994)
* '' Now Is the Hour'' (Verve, 1996)
* '' The Art of the Song'' (Verve, 1999)
* '' Sophisticated Ladies'' (EmArcy, 2010)
With Betty Wright
* ''Betty Wright'' (Epic Records, 1981)
* ''Wright Back At You'' (Epic Records, 1983)
With Cher
* '' Take Me Home'' (Casablanca, 1979)
With Frankie Valli
* '' Valli'' (Private Stock, 1976)
* '' Frankie Valli... Is the Word'' (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Bobby Hutcherson
* '' Head On'' (Blue Note, 1971)
* '' Linger Lane'' (Blue Note, 1975)
* '' Montara'' (Blue Note, 1975)
With Milt Jackson
* '' Memphis Jackson'' (Impulse!, 1969)
With Barbra Streisand
* '' Songbird'' (Columbia, 1978)
With Jim Messina
* ''One More Mile'' (Warner Bros., 1983)
With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole
* ''We're the Best of Friends'' (Capitol Records, 1979)
With Willis Alan Ramsey
* '' Willis Alan Ramsey'' (Shelter, 1972)
With J. J. Johnson
* '' Concepts in Blue'' (Pablo Today, 1981)
With Teena Marie
* '' Wild and Peaceful'' (Gordy, 1979)
* '' Roobery'' (Epic, 1983)
* '' Starchild'' (Epic, 1984)
With Quincy Jones
* ''Roots'' (A&M, 1977)
With Jeffrey Osborne
* '' Jeffrey Osborne'' (A&M, 1982)
With Carole King
* ''Music'' (Ode, 1971)
* '' Rhymes & Reasons'' (Ode, 1972)
* ''Fantasy'' (Ode, 1973)
* ''Wrap Around Joy'' (Ode, 1974)
* '' Simple Things'' (Capitol, 1977)
* '' Welcome Home'' (Capitol, 1978)
With Glenn Frey
* ''No Fun Aloud'' (Asylum Records, 1982)
With Charles Kynard
* ''Charles Kynard'' ( Mainstream, 1971)
With Eric Martin
* ''Eric Martin'' (Capitol, 1985)
With John Mayall
* ''Moving On'' (Polydor, 1973)
With Randy Newman
* '' Trouble in Paradise'' (Reprise Records, 1983)
With Carmen McRae
* ''Can't Hide Love'' (Blue Note, 1976)
With Blue Mitchell
* '' Vital Blue'' (Mainstream, 1971)
With Helen Reddy
* '' Reddy'' (Capitol, 1979)
With New Stories
* ''Speakin' Out'' (1999)
With Moacir Santos
* ''Carnival of the Spirits'' (Blue Note, 1975)
With Lalo Schifrin
* '' Gypsies'' (Tabu, 1978)
* '' No One Home'' (Tabu, 1979)
With Bud Shank
* ''Windmills of Your Mind'' (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
With Donna Summer
*'' Donna Summer'' (Geffen, 1982)
With Rob Mullins
*''Tokyo Nights'' (Nova, 1990)
With the Super Black Blues Band: T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann and Joe Turner
*'' Super Black Blues'' (BluesTime, 1969)
With Gábor Szabó
* '' Faces'' ( Mercury, 1977)
With Mariya Takeuchi
* ''Variety'' (Moon Records, 1984)
With Gino Vannelli
* '' Brother to Brother'' (A&M, 1978)
With Gerald Wilson
* ''Eternal Equinox, 1981)
* '' Jessica'' ( Trend, 1982)
* '' Calafia'' (Trend, 1985)
With Torsten de Winkel and Hellmut Hattler
* ''Mastertouch'' ( EMI, 1985)
With Rufus and Chaka Khan
* ''Stompin' at the Savoy – Live'' ( Warner Bros. Records, 1983)
With Paul Clark
* ''Aim for the Heart'' (Seed Records, 1980)

References

External links

*
Ernie Watts Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Ernie
1945 births
Living people
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American jazz flautists
Berklee College of Music alumni
Musicians from Norfolk, Virginia
Mainstream Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Qwest Records artists
Independent Music Awards winners
21st-century American saxophonists
Jazz musicians from Virginia
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
GRP All-Star Big Band members
The Tonight Show Band members
Karma (American band) members
CTI Records artists
Elektra Records artists
JVC Records artists
The Love Unlimited Orchestra members
21st-century flautists