Small Group Jazz Performances: Part IX
Jeff “Tain” Watts: “The Impaler” from Citizen Tain (Columbia, 1999). Wynton Marsalis: trumpet, Branford Marsalis: tenor sax, Kenny Kirkland: piano, Reginald Veal: bass, Jeff “Tain” Watts: drums. Album recorded June 1-3, 1998 at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY. Additional recording at Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY. Produced by Delfeayo Marsalis.
Pittsburgh’s “Tain” Watts is one of the most emulated and imitated drummers of the past thirty years, having contributed a substantial amount of new vocabulary to the jazz drumming lexicon. His debut record as a leader for Columbia, 1999’s Citizen Tain showcased him in a variety of settings, with his then employer, Branford Marsalis in his quartet, in a trio with the late great, Kenny Kirkland, and with special guests Kenny Garrett, Wynton and Delfeayo Marsalis. The tunes, including the evocative “MLK Shake Up Call” in memoriam of the 1994 Northridge earthquake which pounded Los Angeles and Southern California. Overall the albums demonstrates a compositional acumen that has grown deeper with time.
The album lead off track, “The Impaler” is significant for several reasons: it featured the reunited Wynton Marsalis quintet, responsible for his classic album Black Codes From the Underground (Columbia, 1985) with Reginald Veal replacing Charnett Moffett in the bass chair. The tune received two renditions prior on Megawatts (Sunnyside, 1991) and Michael Brecker’s Two Blocks from the Edge (Impulse! 1998) but the reading given on Watts’ album is by far the most volatile. It is a post bop vehicle in the “burnout” style, a method of operation the Marsalis’ investigated in the 1980’s which Delfeayo succinctly notes for the saxophonist’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (Columbia, 1991) “complete freedom in a structured environment”. John Coltrane had also experimented with in his classic quartet in the mid 1960’s.
Wynton takes the first solo in one of his finest recorded moments, playing in a style that he had not since the mid 80’s, impressive is his use of legato tones, and breath control. Branford however, takes the cake with his torrid tenor solo, over a blistering vamp incorporating a clave Watts indicated was “mirror style”where the grouping is of 2-3-3-2 , and a bass line paying homage to “Skin Tight” by the Ohio Players. Marsalis takes his solo way out, playing stream of consciousness runs, harmonics and multiphonics creating a fevered pitch over the vamp. Kenny Kirkland, in one of his final recordings, solos over the original swing rhythm, alternating with the bridge vamp used for the tenor saxophone solo, and Watts flexes his muscles over the vamp.
“The Impaler” is recording showcasing brilliant group dynamics executing a specific musical construct, and one of the great modern jazz recordings. Since then, Jeff “Tain” Watts’ recordings have only gotten richer.
I have been the staff writer for the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music blog in midtown Manhattan since 2014, and that has broadened my freelance writing skills considerably. In addition to writing artist bios, and articles of interest that pertain to the mission of the school, I have interviewed (in print on the site) legendary guitarist and NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, trumpeter Cuong Vu, and in 2015 embarked on producing a podcast for the school where I have achieved my dream and interviewed jazz giants such as Dave Liebman, Lenny White, rising talents like Thana Alexa, Logan Richardson, guitarist and bassist Brian Kastan, among others. I also work on SEO optimization for the blog. In 2015 I started my blog Jazz Views with CJ Shearn, and have written liner notes for 5 time Grammy winner and Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Antonio Sanchez (for his latest recording “Channels of Energy”) and guitarist Gene Ess for his latest recording, scheduled to be released in November 2018.
My passion for jazz music is what drives me, which is an interest I’ve had since I can remember. I initially began writing about jazz at the age of 13 for my high school newspaper, and in my late teens contributed occasionally to jazzreview.com. In college I was member of the Harpur Jazz Project which brought jazz acts to campus. I’ve also contributed in the past to AllAboutJazz where I was mentored by John Kelman. I decided to focus on my passion for jazz music journalism after a job in the social services field as a caseworker went south, and as a person with a physical disability I work on going against the odds, living independently and having accomplished things people had said I’d never do.