Artist: Trevor Watts

Date of Release: 01/05/2009

Catalogue no: RW084

Label: Jazzwerkstatt JW 084

Price: £12

Add to Shopping Basket

Track Listing

Those Vortex patrons who have witnessed Trevor Watts's recent appearances at the club (with percussionist Jamie Harris) will already be familiar with the saxophonist's modus operandi: over Harris's various rhythms and textures, he slowly constructs solos of building intensity, utilising his experience of everything from so-called 'world' musics, through bebop to free jazz, to fill them with musical detail and infuse them with vibrancy and energy. The resultant music is immediately accessible, yet entrancing in its true sense, hypnotic in its almost shamanistic, incantatory power.
On this solo album, Watts provides his own accompaniment (piano, percussion and synthesiser), and runs the stylistic gamut from a Steve Lacy tribute ('Lace') to Celtic traditional music ('Highlands & Islands'), highlife ('Ghana Bop') and Middle Eastern music ('Golden Roses'), but these details are less important than the sheer variety, freshness and individuality Watts brings to each composition, perfectly fulfilling his stated aim: 'I believe every musician should spread their wings as far as they can, and get as many experiences as possible to inform their attitude and their musicianship. Trying to find your own voice is the key.'
Watts's voice, in all its richness and subtlety, has been painstakingly acquired over the years, in his musical travels, and is heard to great effect throughout this unequivocally enjoyable, rich, multi-faceted album.
VORTEX CLUB WEBSITE LONDON. - Chris Parker.

Reviews

11/11/0009 John Shand

REVIEW: Sydney Morning Herald - Australia.

TREVOR WATTS
The Deep Blue
Jazzwerkstatt JW 084

The work of some artists grows darker, deeper or more pensive
as they age. Trevor Watts' grows more joyous. Four years ago the
preeminent British improviser finally made his first album of
solo saxophone, the exceptional "World Sonic". "The Deep Blue" is
also solo, but this time Watts is multi-tracked on saxophones,
percussion, piano and synthesizer.
Such projects can be a look-no-hands circus act. Watts,
however, is not only a very accomplished percussionist, but
multiples of his saxophones just add to the exuberance. The
result sounds more like a band having a hot night than a lone
bloke spending hours in a studio.
Watts also pulls off that tricky double-act of making music
that is both happy and sophisticated. The theme of "A Life's
Celebration" is like a beaming smile, and on "Highlands and
Islands" he juxtaposes a bagpipe-like soprano melody with
rhythmic figures from some mythical Equatorial island. Throughout
there is the irrepressible sound of his saxophones, with the
infinite nuances of timbre he extracts from them. Jubilant.
John Shand - Nov 09

JAZZWIZE 2009 - DUNCAN HEINING VOTED THIS RECORDING AMONGST HIS TOP 10 FOR 2009!!