Ernie Watts

Ernest James "Ernie" Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone (tenor, alto and soprano) and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist. He has also toured with The Rolling Stones, joining them on their 1981 tour and also appearing with them in the 1982 film Let's Spend the Night Together (film).

He is noted for playing "The Mystery Horn" (actually a Conn straight-necked C Melody Saxophone) solo on Frank Zappa's album The Grand Wazoo in 1972.

Biography
Watts was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He began playing saxophone at thirteen and later attended the Berklee College of Music on a Downbeat scholarship, after a brief period at West Chester University. He toured with Buddy Rich in the mid-1960s, occupying one of the alto saxophone chairs, with Lou Marini occupying the other. Later, he visited Africa on a US State Department tour with Oliver Nelson's group. Watts also played tenor saxophone with The Tonight Show Band under Doc Severinsen for 20 years. He also was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's original albums on Motown during the 1970s, as well as on many other pop and r&b sessions during 25 years as a first-call musician in the studios in LA. 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 bassist Charlie Haden's Quartet West. Watts and Haden met when Haden heard Ernie play the Michel Columbier piece "Nightbird" (written for Watts) at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and Haden came backstage to meet Watts. Watts had earlier played the saxophone on the Grease soundtrack and clarinet on The Color Purple. He also played the saxophone on the opening theme song of the popular 80s sitcom Night Court. Ernie Watts was also featured in the Windows XP edition Jazz preview. The song he was featured in was "Highway Blues". He plays black-lacquered Keilwerth SX90R saxophones, one of which can clearly be seen in the cover photograph of his 1995 "Unity" recording.

In early 2008, Watts' Analog Man on his own label Flying Dolphin Records won the award in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Album.

Recently he has recorded a new Quartet West album with Charlie Haden, and also works with vocalist Kurt Elling, whose album Dedicated To You, featuring Watts, won a Grammy in 2010 for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2012, Watts once again teamed up to tour with former Johnny Carson band leader Doc Serverinsen in Severinsen's Big Band as guest soloist. Watts primarily is featured playing the tenor saxophone.

He tours Europe twice a year with his own Ernie Watts Quartet, and is often a featured artist in Asia, as well as in summer jazz festivals the world over. His record company Flying Dolphin Records produces his own music with his US quartet as well as his European band.

As leader

 * 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 [1991])
 * 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)

As sideman
With Billy Alessi and Bobby Alessi  With Gene Ammons With Paul Anka With Eric Martin With Willie Bobo With Brass Fever With Kenny Burrell With Donald Byrd With Stanley Clarke With Billy Cobham With Randy Crawford With Kurt Elling With Torsten de Winkel and Hellmut Hattler With Marvin Gaye With Dizzy Gillespie With Charlie Haden With Bobby Hutcherson With Milt Jackson With Carole King With John Mayall With Blue Mitchell With New Stories With Moacir Santos With Lalo Schifrin With Gábor Szabó
 * Words and Music (A&M, 1979)
 * Long Time Friends (Qwest, 1982)
 * Free Again (Prestige, 1971)
 * Walk a Fine Line (CBS, 1983)
 * Eric Martin (Capitol Records, 1985)
 * Tomorrow Is Here (1977)
 * Time Is Running Out (Impulse!, 1976)
 * Both Feet on the Ground (Fantasy, 1973)
 * Caricatures (Blue Note, 1976)
 * Time Exposure (CBS, 1984)
 * Inner Conflicts (Atlantic, 1978)
 * Secret Combination (Warner Bros., 1981)
 * Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (Concord, 2009)
 * Mastertouch (EMI, 1985)
 * Let's Get It On (Tamla, 1973)
 * I Want You (Tamla, 1976)
 * Free Ride (Pablo, 1977) composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin
 * Quartet West (Verve, 1986)
 * In Angel City (Verve, 1988)
 * The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Verve, 1989 [1999])
 * Haunted Heart (Verve, 1991)
 * Always Say Goodbye (Verve, 1993)
 * Now Is the Hour (Verve, 1995)
 * The Art of the Song (Verve, 1999)
 * Head On (Blue Note, 1971)
 * Linger Lane (Blue Note, 1975)
 * Montara (Blue Note, 1975)
 * Memphis Jackson (Impulse!, 1969)
 * Music (Ode, 1971)
 * Moving On (Polydor, 1973)
 * Vital Blue (Mainstream, 1971)
 * Speakin' Out (1998)
 * Carnival of the Spirits (Blue Note, 1975)
 * Gypsies (Tabu, 1978)
 * No One Home (Tabu, 1979)
 * Faces (Mercury, 1977)

Other
With Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson, and Patrice Rushen (aka The Meeting)
 * The Meeting (GRP, 1990)
 * Update (Hip Bop, 1995) (without Alphonso Johnson)