Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Jeff "Tain" Watts Family Reunion Band at the Jazz Standard

Jeff "Tain" Watts Family Reunion Band at the Jazz Standard

By Tomas Pena
February 3, 2014
View read count

Jeff "Tain" Watts Family Reunion Band
Jazz Standard
New York, NY
January 23, 2014

Sigmund Freud would have had a field day with Jeff "Tain" Watts' compositions. Case in point: "The Devil's Ringtone," where Watts conjures up an imaginary conversation between Satan and a corrupt politician. The tune features

Paul Bollenback

guitar
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bollenback, whose electric guitar eerily captures the pleas of the politician, and Frank Lacey, whose growling trombone captures Satan's devilish reply. The tune gives the listener a glimpse into the rich internal life of Watts, who says he likes to give the audience "something to think about," and succeeds (check out the album, Watts (Tainish Chamber Music, 2009) and the tune "Devil's Ringtone: the Movie" for the identity of the politician).

Live at the Jazz Standard, Watts reminded me of a kid in a candy store as he put the Watts Family Reunion Band through its paces. He's a storyteller with a cinematic sense, who draws his inspiration from life and his over-the-top imagination. "Return of the Jitney Man" is an ode to his father who drove a jitney (illegal) cab on weekends to earn extra money, and "The Impaler" alludes to the Prince of Darkness and combines straight-ahead jazz with Afro Cuban rhythms. These and other tunes set the stage for some memorable musical moments:

Yosvany Terry

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Yosvany Terry's soulful invocation, a jaw- dropping musical exchange between

Ravi Coltrane

saxophone, tenor
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Ravi Coltrane and Terry, and great solo work by trombonists

Conrad Herwig

trombone
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Conrad Herwig and

Robin Eubanks

trombone
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Robin Eubanks, trumpeter

Lew Soloff

trumpet
1944 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Lew Soloff, clarinetist

Don Byron

clarinet
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Byron and pianist

David Budway

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">David Budway.

The Watts Family Reunion band is a 17-piece, star-studded powerhouse with the ability to turn on a dime and shape-shift as the situation demands. It's also a great vehicle for Watts to exorcise his demons, frolic and test the limits of his imagination, which he does with aplomb and glee.

The Watts Family Reunion Band is: Jeff "Tain" Watts—drums, compositions; Lew Soloff—trumpet;

Alex Sipiagin

trumpet
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Sipiagin—trumpet;

Kenyatta Beasley

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenyatta Beasley— trumpet;

Laura Kahle

trumpet
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Laura Kahle—trumpet; Yosvany Terry—alto saxophone;

Jacam Manricks

arranger

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacam Manricks—alto saxophone, piccolo, alto flute; Ravi Coltrane—tenor saxophone, Don Byron—E-flat clarinet, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet;

Claire Daly

saxophone, baritone
- 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Claire Daly— baritone saxophone, flute; Conrad Herwig —trombone; Robin Eubanks—trombone; David Budway, piano; Paul Bollenback—guitar; Chris Smith—bass.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Eulalia
< Previous

Flash Mob
Next >

Jeff Tain Watts Concerts

Apr 16 Thu

Coltrane 100: Both Directions At Once

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
Davis, CA

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.