Jeff 'Tain' Watts

Jeff "Tain" Watts (born 1960) is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, 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.

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". As a composer, Watts is a creative and innovative force in modern jazz, writing most of the compositions on his albums.

Watts is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and can be seen on the album cover of Branford Marsalis's Braggtown with a Terrible Towel.

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
 * When Harry Met Sally... (1989) - Harry Connick, Jr.
 * Trio Jeepy (1989) - Branford Marsalis
 * Crazy People Music (1990) - Branford Marsalis
 * The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1991) - Branford Marsalis
 * I Heard You Twice the First Time (1992) - Branford Marsalis
 * Bloomington (1993) - Branford Marsalis
 * 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 Reveared (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

Grammy Awards

 * Career Wins: 6
 * Career Nominations: 15