Jeff Watts
| Jeff "Tain" Watts | |
|---|---|
Watts performing with Wynton Marsalis in JazzFest 2007
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 20, 1960 |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, actor |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Labels | Dark Key Music |
| Associated acts | Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, The Tonight Show Band |
| Website | tainish |
Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane and others. Jeff is a 2017 Guggenheim Fellow in the field of music composition.
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". Watts writes most of the compositions on his own albums.
Watts is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and can be seen on the album cover of Branford Marsalis's Braggtown with a Terrible Towel.
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