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 countless other pop and r&b sessions during 25 years as a first-call musician in the studios of 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 Severinsen 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.

Discography

As leader

• Planet Love (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
• 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 )
• 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 group member (Karma)

• Celebration (Horizon/A&M, 1976)
• For Everybody (Horizon/A&M, 1977)

As sideman

With Richard Groove Holmes

• "Come Together Richard Groove Holmes with Ernie Watts" (World Pacific Jazz Records)

With Alphonse Mouzon

• Back To Jazz 1985

With Billy Alessi and Bobby Alessi

• Words and Music (A&M, 1979)
• Long Time Friends (Qwest, 1982)

With Gene Ammons

• Free Again (Prestige, 1971)

With Paul Anka

• Walk a Fine Line (CBS, 1983)

With Eric Martin

• Eric Martin (Capitol Records, 1985)

With Willie Bobo

• Tomorrow Is Here (1977)

With Brass Fever

• Time Is Running Out (Impulse!, 1976)

With Kenny Burrell

• Both Feet on the Ground (Fantasy, 1973)

With Lee Ritenour

• Stolen Moments (GRP, 1989)

With David Axelrod

• Earth Rot (Capitol, 1970)

With Donald Byrd

• Caricatures (Blue Note, 1976)

With Stanley Clarke

• Time Exposure (CBS, 1984)

With Billy Cobham

With Gino Vannelli

• Brother to Brother (A&M, 1978)
• Inner Conflicts (Atlantic, 1978)

With Randy Crawford

• Secret Combination (Warner Bros., 1981)

With Kurt Elling

• Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (Concord, 2009)

With Torsten de Winkel and Hellmut Hattler

• Mastertouch (EMI, 1985)

With Marvin Gaye

• Let's Get It On (Tamla, 1973)
• I Want You (Tamla, 1976)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Free Ride (Pablo, 1977) composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin

With Charlie Haden

• Quartet West (Verve, 1986)
• The Private Collection (Naim, 1987-88 )
• In Angel City (Verve, 1988)
• The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Verve, 1989 )
• Haunted Heart (Verve, 1991)
• Always Say Goodbye (Verve, 1993)
• Now Is the Hour (Verve, 1995)
• The Art of the Song (Verve, 1999)

With Bobby Hutcherson

• Head On (Blue Note, 1971)
• Linger Lane (Blue Note, 1975)
• Montara (Blue Note, 1975)

With Milt Jackson

• Memphis Jackson (Impulse!, 1969)

With Carole King

• Music (Ode, 1971)

With Charles Kynard

• Charles Kynard (Mainstream, 1971)

With John Mayall

• Moving On (Polydor, 1973)

With Carmen McRae

• Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)

With Blue Mitchell

• Vital Blue (Mainstream, 1971)

With Helen Reddy

• Reddy (Capitol, 1979)

With New Stories

• Speakin' Out (1998)

With Moacir Santos

• Carnival of the Spirits (Blue Note, 1975)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Gypsies (Tabu, 1978)
• No One Home (Tabu, 1979)

With Bud Shank

• Windmills of Your Mind (Pacific Jazz, 1969)

With Gábor Szabó

• Faces (Mercury, 1977)

With Gerald Wilson

• Eternal Equinox (Pacific Jazz, 1969)

Other

With Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson, and Patrice Rushen (aka The Meeting)

• The Meeting (GRP, 1990)
• Update (Hip Bop, 1995) (without Alphonso Johnson)

With Joe Louis Walker - Pasa Tiempo - produced by Carla Olson (Evidence Music 2002)

With Barry Goldberg - Stoned Again - produced by Carla Olson (Antone's TMG 2002)

With Paul Jones - Starting All Over Again - produced by Carla Olson (Continental Blue Heaven 2009)

With Chubby Tavares - Jealousy - produced by Carla Olson (Fuel Music 2012)

With T. Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner and Otis Span: “Super Black Blues” (RCA Victor/ FlyingDutchman Blues Time BT-29003, 1969)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]