Jeff "Tain" Watts's albums
Black Codes (From the Underground)
Drums
Jeff "Tain" Watts
(1960–)
Jeff "Tain" Watts (b. 1960) — Drums. Led Citizen Tain, Watts. Worked with Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Wynton Marsalis.
Drummer who came up in Wynton Marsalis's quartet and later anchored Branford Marsalis's quartet.
Charnett MoffettJeff "Tain" Watts's videos
Full concert of the post-Kirkland Branford Marsalis
— Branford Marsalis Quartet - North Sea Jazz, Prime Video / Stingray Qello, 1999
Jeff "Tain" Watts's videos
Full North Sea Jazz Festival concert of the golden-era Branford Marsalis
— Branford Marsalis Quartet - North Sea Jazz Festival 1987, NN North Sea Jazz Festival archive, 1987
Jeff "Tain" Watts's videos
Branford Marsalis
— Branford Marsalis Quartet - 'Yes Or No' Live at the Bottom Line 1989, 1989
The quartet of Branford Marsalis
On his sole self-titled leader album from 1991, Kenny Kirkland
In 1999, Jeff "Tain" Watts
Jeff "Tain" Watts's albums
In 1982, when Wynton asked his brother Branford who he knew for a new band, the answer was: call Kenny Kirkland, and put Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Watts was an unknown Berklee student at the time; that single recommendation set the entire rhythm section of Wynton's 1980s quartet and put both men on the map.
— Statement stmt-branford-marsalis-on-kenny-kirkland
Jeff "Tain" Watts's albums
In 1984, Wynton Marsalis — already a rising star — called his quintet's pianist Kenny Kirkland and drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts the best young players on the scene, yet completely unrecognized. The spotlight stayed on the leader; the sidemen he rated above himself remained unknown.
— Statement stmt-wynton-marsalis-on-kenny-kirkland
Jeff "Tain" Watts's albums
In the early 1980s, Wynton Marsalis said his quintet's arrangements weren't dictated by the bandleader: whatever chord Kenny Kirkland played became the chord of the tune, and whatever beat Jeff 'Tain' Watts played became its meter.
— Statement stmt-wynton-marsalis-on-kenny-kirkland-2
Jeff "Tain" Watts's albums
Kenny Kirkland played on a long list of records, among them Black Codes (From the Underground) in 1985, yet he put out exactly one album under his own name: Kenny Kirkland, in 1991. The drummer on it was Jeff "Tain" Watts, who had been sitting next to him on Black Codes six years earlier.
About Jeff "Tain" Watts
Call Kenny Kirkland, man. Jeff Tain Watts should be the drummer.
Recalling what he told his brother Wynton in 1982, when Wynton was forming his first band and asked whom he knew.
↗ Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program
Branford Marsalis NEA Jazz Master Interview
2012-05-25
About Jeff "Tain" Watts
See Kenny and Tain, you couldn't get them to rehearse. If you called a rehearsal, they wouldn't even show up.
On making the Kenny Kirkland memorial album Requiem, describing how neither man would ever turn up to rehearse.
↗ Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program
Branford Marsalis NEA Jazz Master Interview
2012-05-25
About Jeff "Tain" Watts
I love my band. Kenny Kirkland and Jeff Watts are the greatest young musicians on the scene, and they get no credit.
In 1984, on his own quintet with Kenny Kirkland and Jeff Watts.
About Jeff "Tain" Watts
Whatever chord Kenny plays, that's what chord it is. If Jeff plays a certain beat, the piece becomes in that time.
In 1984, explaining how his band improvises, using Kirkland and Watts as the example.