Ernie Watts
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"Ernest James "Ernie" Watts" is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone (tenor saxophone/tenor, alto saxophone/alto and soprano saxophone/soprano) and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist. He has also toured with The Rolling Stones, joining them on their 1981 tour and also appearing with them in the 1982 film Let's Spend the Night Together (film)/Let's Spend the Night Together.

He is noted for playing "The Mystery Horn" (actually a C.G. Conn/Conn straight-necked C Melody Saxophone) solo on Frank Zappa's album The Grand Wazoo in 1972.

More Ernie Watts on Wikipedia.

Every time I play a tune, it's different, ... It should be different because that's the essence of what jazz is. I've probably played that tune 200 times, and like everything, the piece evolves and changes and there's more depth to it.

Everything has changed; my tone, my harmonics, my technique and control of my horn, ... It's all part of my evolution as a jazz musician, that combined with the fact I now perform regularly and practice two to three hours a day and more, when possible.

I never heard (Rich) go off on a musician unless there was a reason, ... However, (Rich) never knew when to lighten up. He'd state his case and then continue until he had blown his stack.

I'm not in the music business; I'm in music, ... What I love to do has evolved, technically and harmonically, but it's not as marketable. This record company isn't for trying to make commercial records for a particular market. It's an outlet to expose the music and energy I believe in – and for those who are looking for something more, it offers an option.

Just because you're totally acoustic doesn't mean you have to play old music. We're straight-ahead but not dated, ... Besides, if the lights go out, you can still hear the band.

Some get it and some don't, but I think most do, ... But I can only play what I feel. When I plan a program, it's just a road map for a musical journey. What happens on that journey is what makes the music interesting.

Summer Jazz at the Moonlight 2005.

What I do and enjoy best, playing mainstream jazz.