Ernie Watts

Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album "The Grand Wazoo" he played the "Mystery Horn", a straight-necked C melody saxophone. He played the notable saxophone riff on "The One You Love" by Glenn Frey.
Biography.
Watts was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and began playing saxophone at thirteen. After a brief period at West Chester University, he attended the Berklee College of Music on a "Down Beat" magazine scholarship. He toured with Buddy Rich in the late-1960s, occupying one of the alto saxophone chairs. He visited Africa on a U.S. State Department tour with Oliver Nelson's group. For twenty years he played alto saxophone with The Tonight Show Band under Doc Severinsen. He was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's albums on Motown during the 1970s, as well as on many other pop and R&B sessions during his twenty-five years as a studio musician in Los Angeles. He has won two Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist.
In the mid-1980s Watts decided to rededicate himself to jazz. He recorded and toured with German guitarist and composer Torsten de Winkel, drummer Steve Smith, and keyboardist Tom Coster. He was invited to join Charlie Haden's Quartet West. They met backstage one night after Haden heard Watts play "Nightbird" by Michel Colombier. Watts played on soundtracks for the movies "Grease" and "The Color Purple" and on the theme song for the TV show "Night Court".
In 1982, his version of "Chariots of Fire" was featured in the Season 4 episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati" ("The Creation of Venus") as Andy Travis and Venus Flytrap are playing games in the studio when Momma Carlson walks in and surprises them.
He was featured in one of Windows XP's sample music, "Highway Blues" by New Stories.
In 1986, he visited South America with the Pat Metheny Special Quartet, alongside Charlie Haden and Paul Wertico, playing at Shams in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In 2008, his album "Analog Man" won the Independent Music Award for Best Jazz Album. He played on Kurt Elling's album "Dedicated to You", which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2011.
Discography.
As leader.
With Karma
As sideman.
With the GRP All-Star Big Band
With Jean-Luc Ponty
With Gamalon
With Billy Alessi and Bobby Alessi
With Gene Ammons
With Paul Anka
With Willie Bobo
With Brass Fever
With Kenny Burrell
With Donald Byrd
With Jennifer Holliday
With Dion DiMucci
With Lee Ritenour
With David Axelrod
With Donald Byrd
With Joe Cocker
With Boz Scaggs
With Stanley Clarke
With Gloria Gaynor
With Sarah Vaughan
With Aaron Neville
With Bill Withers
With Natalie Cole
With Randy Crawford
With James Taylor
With Rickie Lee Jones
With Paul McCartney
With Kurt Elling
With Patti Austin
With Dionne Warwick
With Bob Seger
With Deniece Williams
With Marvin Gaye
With Christopher Cross
With Maria Muldaur
With Dizzy Gillespie
With Gino Vannelli
With Benny Golson
With Aretha Franklin
With Michael Franks
With Bonnie Raitt
With Cheryl Lynn
With Charlie Haden
With Betty Wright
With Cher
With Frankie Valli
With Bobby Hutcherson
With Milt Jackson
With Barbra Streisand
With Jim Messina
With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole
With Willis Alan Ramsey
With J. J. Johnson
With Teena Marie
With Quincy Jones
With Jeffrey Osborne
With Carole King
With Glenn Frey
With Charles Kynard
With Eric Martin
With John Mayall
With Randy Newman
With Carmen McRae
With Blue Mitchell
With Helen Reddy
With New Stories
With Moacir Santos
With Lalo Schifrin
With Bud Shank
With Donna Summer
With Rob Mullins
With the Super Black Blues Band: T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann and Joe Turner
With Gábor Szabó
With Mariya Takeuchi
With Gino Vannelli 
With Gerald Wilson
With Torsten de Winkel and Hellmut Hattler
With Rufus and Chaka Khan
External links.
 