Glenn Astarita
May 2001

New & Noteworthy
Archive <& /modern/mnew_archive.tmp &>

By Glenn Astarita

Due to life’s burning commitments, including obligations to Uncle Sam, trombonist Harry Watters is unable to routinely tour and record with his trumpeter brother Ken, therefore Southern Exposure marks the debut of the “Ken Watters Group”. The band garners top notch assistance from New York City-based solo artist, saxophonist Joel Frahm who performs on selected pieces. Essentially, the “Ken Watters Group” is an outfit who have been gaining lots of ground in the modern jazz arena along with a budding reputation as a - must see - live act, to coincide with an incessant touring schedule, primarily throughout the Southern region of the United States.

It should be justifiably noted, that this is an outfit who offers a prominent sense of commercial appeal while their manifesto also includes razor sharp soloing, harmonically rich textures and magnificent spins on jazz and pop standards! Produced by Johnny Sandlin, the man responsible for engineering many of those classic “Allman Brothers” recordings, the musicians’ revitalize their Southern roots by dishing out an alluringly tuneful rendition of the Allman’s classic, “Jessica”. Here, Watters and co. parallel the song’s inherent rock/soul groove yet also enrich this memorable tune with animated unison choruses and a peppery Latin groove during the bridge. Basically, this piece in particular should seemingly enjoy widespread radio airplay as it is guaranteed to impart a lasting impression. - Ken Watters’ sweet-tempered composition titled, “Cooler On The Horizon”, boasts a steady 4/4 pulse, spearheaded by the leader’s richly thematic lines, performed on flugelhorn, as the band’s underlying spark might elicit imagery of a brisk morning breeze, perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of aquamarine waters and sandy shores.

The ensemble turns in an absolutely gorgeous version of Joni Mitchell’s time honored, “Both Sides Now” whereas, they engage in some lilting and thoroughly melodic hard-bop choruses on the swinging cooker, “April Third”. With this piece, Watters soars to the heavens via blazing lines, effective utilization of tremolo and poignant trills along with Frahm’s heated blowing on tenor, as the band rekindles notions of the late Art Blakey’s “Jazz Messengers”. Throughout, pianist David Marlow toggles between tenderly executed, animated choruses and tenacious right hand leads, while the rhythm section artfully perpetuates the often oscillating undercurrents and rapid swing grooves amid a strong sense of the dynamic.

The group finalizes the proceedings with Ken Watters’ climactic modern jazz opus “Pathfinder” as Frahm, performing on soprano sax, shoots for the stars atop Marlow’s lower register ostinato. Overall Southern Exposure signifies one of the finest jazz outings of the year, thanks to a gregarious compositional mix and the band’s adroit penchant for transforming familiar standards into deeply personalized statements. Hence, their charismatic – group sound bespeaks an astonishing chemistry! Highly recommended.

Summit Records

Track listing: Jessica, Coller On The Horizon, Both Sides Now, Stella By Starlight, We’ll Be Together Again, April Third, Fire & Rain, Pathfinder

Personnel: Ken Watters; trumpet & flugelhorn: David Marlow; piano: Roy Yarbrough; acoustic bass: Jay Frederick; drums: Special Guest: Joel Frahm; saxophones