Jazz Articles about Ken Watters

Watters / Felts Project: Watters / Felts Project

by Jack Bowers
April 6, 2014

On The Watters / Felts Project, Ken Watters, a fine trumpeter, and his quintet are confined for the most part to escorting singer Ingrid Felts as she wends her way through five present-day compositions, Billie Holiday's “Fine and Mellow" and the standard “I'll Be Seeing You." Is it a good idea? That depends in part on one's response to Felts' casual, blues-based vocal style. The opinion here is that her performance is for the most part adequate but no more ...

Take Five With Ken Watters

by AAJ Staff
April 5, 2009

Meet Ken Watters:Atlanta-based trumpeter Ken Watters has performed, toured, or recorded with Frank Sinatra, Marc Anthony, Natalie Cole, Mingus Big Band, Kelis, Gregg Allman, Bonnie Bramlett, Chris Potter, Harry Connick Jr., Reuben Studdard, Eartha Kitt, The Fifth Dimension, Angela & Zack Hacker, Petula Clarke, Tabou Combo, Steel Pulse, Marilyn McCoo, Phyllis Diller, Dave Holland, The Muscle Shoals Horns, and is house trumpeter for high-profile R&B producer Dallas Austin, among many other credits.Ken is a SESAC-affiliated jazz ...

An Interview With Ken Watters

by AAJ Staff
September 5, 2007

Few debut recordings are capable of generating justifiable and genuine excitement amongst jazz enthusiasts. However, the collaborative release by Ken and Harry Watters, the suitably entitled Brothers (Summit Records), would appear to be one of those recordings. Since it's release earlier this year, Brothers has drawn an unusual degree of attention from AAJ contributors. Unusual not only for the amount of coverage (four reviews, and a biographical sketch in the March edition) but also for the universally positive ...

Ken and Harry Watters: Brothers III

by C. Michael Bailey
October 10, 2003

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 ...

Ken & Harry Watters: Brothers III

by Jim Santella
June 25, 2003

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 ...

The Ken Watters Group: Southern Exposure

by Jack Bowers
August 1, 2001

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 ...

Ken Watters Group: Southern Exposure

by C. Michael Bailey
May 1, 2001

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 ...