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Ken and Harry Watters
Ken and Harry Watters: Brothers III
by C. Michael Bailey
While his brother Harry was serving in the armed forces, Ken Watters produced the exceptional Southern Exposure . Now Harry is back and Brothers III has crested the horizon. Brothers and Brothers II established the trumpet/trombone front line in the band, characterized buy a fluid, vibrato-less tone. This gives the group a shimmering sound that is at once plush and edgy. The most of the tunes are originals and are rhythmically challenging without being unlistenable. Harry comes back with fine ...
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by Jim Santella
Their most adventurous album to date places the Watters brothers in a position to lead. Today’s jazz world contains many directions all at the same time, and its umbrella continues to grow. However, the spirit that drove Buddy Bolden will not fade.
Ken & Harry Watters ensure that tradition remains a clear and central part of their plan. Their compositions contain the foundation that has served jazz for over a century. Syncopation, improvised expression, exotic impressions, and plaintive cries weave ...
read moreThe Ken Watters Group: Southern Exposure
by Jack Bowers
Southern Exposure is trumpeter Ken Watters' first recording for Summit without his brother, trombonist Harry, in the starting lineup, but Ken has found an able replacement on the front line in friend and former Big Apple roommate Joel Frahm. Frahm is a fast""rising post""bop saxophonist, and it's a pity he's not used more often; as it is, he's heard only on Watters' compositions April Third (tenor) and Pathfinder (soprano) and the Allman Brothers' Jessica (again on soprano). Watters makes up ...
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by C. Michael Bailey
Sans Brother Harry, Trumpeter Ken Watters steps out with his working quartet and burns his way through a collection of originals, standards, and some surprises.
After two recordings with trombonist brother Harry, Trumpeter Ken Watters brings his working quartet into the studio, where he produces his strongest musical statement yet. The previous Watters' offerings, Brothers (Summit 234) and Brothers II (Summit 266), made with brother Harry, revealed Ken Watters as a composer and arranger of great depth, breadth, and sense ...
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by Dave Nathan
P>Ken Watters third album for Summit is with his regular working quartet and provides a play list of standards , jazz tunes, including a couple of originals, and rock stuff adapted for a small jazz group. The result is a mixed bag in terms of the effect upon the ear. A quiet introspective Fire & Rain" makes this song sound better than it should with lovely back and forth between Watters and David Marlow's piano along with Jay Frederick's shuffling ...
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by Jim Santella
If you were expecting Way Down upon the Swanee River," forget it. Like his first two albums with brother Harry, trumpeter Ken Watters has put together a session of post-bop material that reflects his New York City dues-payin' background.
Watters is from Alabama. This same quartet appeared on last year's Brothers II (Summit), with trombonist Harry Watters. A cohesive unit, this is Ken Watters' working group. They interpret each piece with an in-depth understanding. Watters, who plays flugelhorn on half ...
read moreKen Watters Group: Southern Exposure
by Jim Santella
If you were expecting Way Down upon the Swanee River," forget it. Like his first two albums with brother Harry, trumpeter Ken Watters has put together a session of post-bop material that reflects his New York City dues-payin' background.
Watters is from Alabama. This same quartet appeared on last year's Brothers II (Summit), with trombonist Harry Watters. A cohesive unit, this is Ken Watters' working group. They interpret each piece with an in-depth understanding. Watters, who plays flugelhorn on half ...
read more