The Trevor Watts Newsletter: latest news is at the top.

2005-04-19

"A new world music documentary film featuring Trevor Watts"

Whistling Mule Productions is currently in pre-production for a new world music documentary film to be shot later this year. Working title "The Ever Winding Road" will follow British world music and rhythm legend Trevor Watts and his young percussionist Jamie Harris whilst on a world tour. Starting at the Roaring Hoofs Festival in Mongolia it will document their musical adventures as they work with musicians from all corners of the globe to put together a special world music collaboration tour in Europe 2006. www.theeverwindingroad.com

2004-04-02

"Trevor Watts / Jamie Harris Duo"

Trevor Watts - Jamie Harris Duo - Trevor Watts (Alto & sop saxes/percussion) Jamie Harris (Percussion/Voice) About the group and music. Trevor and Jamie have been working together now since around 1999. This is approximately when Trevor formed his 8 piece Celebration Band. That group has been touring very successfully all around the World. 2003 was in the USA & Canada, and was a big hit both from the audience, critic's and promoters points of view. In 2005 the duo will be playing in Latin America, USA, New Zealand & Australia as well as Europe. The music of the duo has now become a distillation of the processes Trevor started to evolve originally through the innovations and development of "free improvisation" in the 60's alongside John Stevens, Evan Parker and Derek Bailey within the Spontaneous Music Ensemble right through to his multi cultural "Afro/European" Moire Music Drum Orchestra in the 80's & 90's and more recentely the Celebration Band. This smaller and more concise context has given Jamie and Trevor much more room for self expression. And a platform to experiment with clarity on all rhythmic/melodic ideas they wish to explore. The music uses similar principles as in all Watts' main groups. Primarily that it is a rhythm based music, and melodies and improvisations are locked in together and develop out of each other. Influences range from Celtic, North and West African through to more freely played ideas. Strong rhythms and original ideas related to those rhythms are at the basis of it all. We feel we can be creative and expressive within a context that anyone can enjoy! We are aware of the problems of a unit this small, that it could possibly get boring & repetitive, but we have worked hard at the music in order to give it a wide variety of textures and colours. And also to keep ourselves as well as the audience, fully absorbed. We have gone for the "big" sound within the music, rather more than the intimate more reflective side. Although we touch on that also. Trevor is steeped in percussive related music having had his Drum Orchestra that featured 5 drummers from West Africa for about 16 years. Before then, rhythm was a major part of his studies in everything he did. Currently he plays in a Mexican based group called Urukungolo, and that features one of the World's best in Brasilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, who is currently based in New York. Trevor has also worked with top Djembe player Adama Drame from Burkina Faso. And played with a Traditional group of Sudanese musicians from the West of Sudan at the Khartoum Festival as well as his own previously mentioned Moire Drum Orchestra. Jamie has taken on the challenge of learning and developing as much as he can from this association and is emerging certainly as one of the best and most creative percussionists in Europe and a great singer as well! A very sympathetic and supportive player and totally dedicated to the music. Currently he is the perfect foil for Trevor!

2004-03-05

"ALL ABOUT JAZZ MAGAZINE - NEW YORK CITY, USA. MARCH 2004 ISSUE."

A Life of Musical Integrity by Trevor Watts It's always been important for me to follow my muse, whatever that is. It seems to manifest itself in a subconscious need to do something, change something, explore something. Entwined with a feeling of staving off habit, boredom and self satisfaction. The need to explore new avenues for oneself. These new avenues may not be so for others. But I have always been a great believer in discovering for yourself. More fun that way, and who's to say it's wrong? Probably comes from a background in the industrial North of England in the 50's when there was very little "live" music around, and only the prospect of a job in a factory for the rest of your life. As someone who left school at 15 this was nor for me. I wanted to play like the musicians on the 78's I heard that my Dad introduced me to from his sojourn in Canada and the USA in the late 20's and early 30's. Ellington, Tex Beneke, Artie Shaw, Nellie Lutcher, Nat King Cole, Tommy Dorsey, Mills Bros, Fats Waller, etc. I had no awareness of a career in music, just the spirit of what was being played. This has stayed with me even today. And whatever anyone else feels about the various directions I've gone for, I personally feel that I've retained my integrity. Call it naive if you like. The need to play freely improvised music came at the right time in the early 60's. Before we came on the scene and helped change things through groups like the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Amalgam, it was very much a jazz history in the U.K. of second hand USA style jazz. Often played well, but not good enough for our generation, like a lot of other things weren't good enough in those days. We stuck it out at the experimental Little Theatre Club. My group Amalgam from around 1976 experimented with a rock drummer, noise guitar player, funky bassist and my saxes. Some people thought I'd sold out, but to me, that music would never be commercial in the real sense. If I'd tried for that I would have done it better.It was always done with the feeling of what would it be like with this group of people. We were all experimenting from our different corners, and discovering aspects of each others playing that we wouldn't have otherwise. I then moved onto the original Drum Orchestra in 1980 which had Steeleye Span violinist Peter Knight. Pete was a friend of mine from the 60's and took an interest at the time of the group's formation in improvised music,which he'd never done. Liam Genockey the drummer stayed on from before and I added Ernest Mothle, a South African upright bassist, and Mamadi Kamara and Nana Tsiboe on African percussion. Again to see how this combination would apply itself to improvising. Some very wild nights, and very exciting. This eventually led to my Moire Music Drum Orchestra with five Ghanaian percussionists, which again began as an improvising situation, but with African rhythm obviously. The only two deliberately compositionally based groups was the Moire Music 10 & 14 pieces, and my current Celebration Band that recently had a lot of success in America. I feel I've kept that thread of integrity the whole way through whether promoters or fans are into it or not, at least I assure them that that's what they will hear when they come to listen to any group of mine. No point in letting that drop now. It's been done through a mix of getting other jobs in the first place, but not since 1968, social security benefits, a helpful partner, and looking for that position in life where I'd never overstretch my resources. Eating cheaper food. not getting too stretched with rent etc. I always looked for this, and whilst I know there are others less fortunate than myself, there's others who say they need X amount of money, that they'd like to be able to do what I do but can't. Well it hasn't been easy, but it can be done. I feel as though I understand and have retained the true spirit and integrity of Jazz music, something I heard and was taken with so long ago. The music told me right from the start "be yourself". So many musicians want to be someone else, and of course it's good to study others. But to try and find your own voice is THE KEY. So many colleges knock the stuffing out of people; they learn all the tools of the trade, and then what. Get a career in music I suppose. Well, good luck in that respect. I always wanted to win through by playing music exactly the way I wanted to, irrespective of fashion. I'm still trying to make that wider breakthrough, because I believe the fans and promoters anywhere will really enjoy the music of my current project Trevor Watts and the Celebration Band, as was recently proved on our recent USA/Canada tour. Who knows, we may even get a gig in New York one day. But no compromises here. (Trevor Watts is an English reedman who has played and toured internationally for 40 years (though never stepping foot inside New York City as a player for an inexcusable lack of invitations). For more information, visit trevorwatts.whistlingmule.com)

2004-02-26

"Trevor Watt`s 65th birthday gig featuring the Celebration Band."

The Vortex Club Stoke Newington Church Street (close to High Street end) London.

Thursday Feb 26th. Trevor Watt`s 65th birthday gig featuring the Celebration Band is at the Vortex Club Stoke Newington Church Street (close to High Street end) London. info@vortexjazz.co.uk Admission £8 (but there are concessions).

2004-02-26

"TREVOR WATTS AND THE CELEBRATION BAND THURSDAY FEBRUAURY 26TH 2004."

VORTEX CLUB STOKE NEWINGTON CHURCH STREET LONDON.

IT'S TREVORS BIRTHDAY! A RARE APPEARANCE IN LONDON BY TREVOR WATTS AND HIS 8 PIECE CELEBRATION BAND. THEY'LL BE PLAYING MATERIAL FROM THEIR FIRST CD, AND ALSO NEW MATERIAL FOR THE UP COMING CD "LIFE AND MUSIC". "this was the best show that Outre Music has put on in it's 5 year existence!! Thanks so much for coming!" - Michael Eisenberg, Chicago promoter 2003. "I want to tell you that your concert was one of the finest concerts I have heard in a long time. First class players, superb writing and arranging what more could you ask for". - Jacques Emond, Ottawa. Artistic director of Ottawa Jazz Festival 2003.

2004-02-01

"Check the Audio Video section for Trevor`s part in filmmaker Jorg Jeshel`s documentary "Lied von der Steppe""

Check the Audio Video section for Trevor`s part in filmmaker Jorg Jeshel`s documentary "Lied von der Steppe" produced by Nachtaktivfilm ©2003 in Mongolia at the Roaring Hoofs festival. Windows media format .wmv

2003-12-30

"Interview by Marc Van der Voort of the Brabants Dagblad, Holland about Trevor`s life and recent music."

*How did the Celebration Band start out? Did this band develop out of the Moiré Music bands, or is it a new direction for you? ANSWER: 1) It's not an entirely new direction for me as I had large Moire ensembles (up to 14 pieces) in the late 80's. But it's a development from those types of groups, and also incorporating all the experience from my African Drum Orchestra of the 90's in terms of the rhythmic emphasis. I am not trying to play African music, or any other kind of music. But to put the music together as it comes up. So many influences are in the music. But I try to do it in an homogenous way, so that it sounds natural, and not like bits all put together. I think we achieve this because it's more like the music takes me to a place, rather than I take the music somewhere. In the end though, it's a bit of both. I like the band and music to be a continuing learning process for us all, and so far it has been that. So it's never a completely finished article. I think to be on the edge of that change is the creative area for the music. I am also experimenting a lot with the time signatures and rhythms and putting them together how I hear it. It's an exciting process for us all. The thing that this group has over a lot of other groups is that we're very much like a small community of good friends. And this is more important than just having a group of good musicians. They're good musicians also, but audiences can see and hear the togetherness of this group community very easily as it really comes across. *In the sixties/seventies you became one of the pioneers of the UK free jazz scene; do you still feel affinity with the free jazz scene? ANSWER; 2) I was an initiater of "free music" in the 60's along with Willem & Han from Holland, and Evan Parker & John Stevens and others over here. And of course at times we all played together. When I started to develop that music it was the right time in every way, socially, politically etc. It felt like a very creative time, an open time, and a time when artists and musicians of all kinds got together and experimented. Those experimentations have been consolidated now, and although there's some newish developments on that scene (i.e. laptops etc). It doesn't hold the same charm as it did for me. I do still play improvised music occasionally. Mainly with pianist Veryan Weston as a duo. Trouble is on that scene a lot of people were very particular as to how they liked their free music to sound. So I started to get disinterested when in Europe in the 70's you were definately out of the "inner circle" if you played rhythm or melody. As I'm mainly a rhythmic and melodic player, and these areas still fascinate me I drifted away. I enjoy improvised music as much as anything else if I feel something that is being played has a truly creative spirit behind it, but then that goes for ALL kinds of music. So I enjoy all kinds of music, not for the style, but the way it's being played. Free music's been around a long time now, and most of it isn't any freer than anything else. You can't play the same way for 30 years and still be radical and free, and some of the musicians on that scene have done that. That's also o.k. as long as they don't claim the "high ground", but just play that way because that's what they enjoy. Some journalists and players on that scene try to claim that the music is intrinsically superior to other types, and in that they have something in common with the "be bop" players who feel that you have to play that first before doing anything else. Not to put too fine a point on it. That is a load of old bollocks!! *Non-western music, and African music in specific has become one of your biggest interests, especially in the Moiré Music groups. What attracted you as a composer in non-western, ethnic music? ANSWER; 3) What attracted me to non Western music was the repetitive, meditative and group aspects of the music. It wasn't just about being a great player, it was having an understanding of all the component parts of that music, and the higher state of concentration that that brings. I think a lot of Westerners misunderstand drones, tonic notes and repetitive rhythms etc, and think of them as boring. Well they are if you cannot get your head into it. But the feeling that comes from the collective of the seperate parts of rhythmic playing is very spiritual. I cannot think of a better word. The collective music making of a group can get you very "high". And I wanted to capture some of that feeling within the compositions. I think I'm getting there gradually with this group of people because we're all getting an understanding of what this way of playing is all about. At best, the playing starts to take you along. So it gets away from the conscious thinking process. If you go with it, it can make you feel very good. But one needs some patience for this also. Today everything is possible in terms of buying food, CD's clothes from everywhere, and people lose patience with things sometimes if it's not an instant buzz. I think the buzz lasts longer if you have to work for it a little, and with that work process you learn how to get there as an individual also. *The music of the Celebration band is sometimes compared to minimalist, repetitive music; is this trancelike aspect of your music a coincidence, or are you really influenced by these types of musical styles? ANSWER; 4) Regarding minimalist composers. No I wasn't into listening to them at all. However I can guess that they were listening to the same stuff as I was at the same time in the 60's. A lot of Indian music and music of other kinds. Ancient music that had all those aspects that minimalist composers picked up on. So I guess you could say that I have some of the minimalist composer in me. But remember I was coming up at the same time as these guys but on a different scene, and with less publicity to my name. And enjoying the traditional musics of the World. So there lay my true influences. I feel I have outgrown all of this now, and am putting music together the way I want without thinking about where the original idea for that type of rhythm etc, came from. Because I am not one of these "rhythm studiers" who learn a rhythm, then learn the name of that rhythm that some particular group of people use (it's bound to have another name for another group of people elsewhere anyway). In any case you'll get a modern African group like Baba Maal or something, and they're experimenting with the rhythms, then they'll give it a name. A bit of sales technique. Well I do the same with this group, but won't give it a name. In any case the area of rhythm is to be indulged in and enjoyed. Learning something and putting a name to it, and then saying "this is called this and should be played like this" does NOT interest me. I may be using a similar rhythm, but I'll put to it what comes up naturally for me. This means it's the way that it's done in Hastings if you like. I respect traditions, but I'm not in awe of them because I still believe in the individuals freedom to experiment with what's around. There lies the same spirit of the 60's in me. I haven't changed in that respect. *How do you create your musical material for the Celebration Band? Is it developed during improvisations, or do you have composed, written-out sections on which to improvise? ANSWER; 5) The music of the band is developed in many different ways. But in the main it'll be something like. I have a couple of time signatures I want a piece to be in. A recent one is 5 and 3. I then try to find the neutral ground rhythmically whereby it can be either one or the other. The plan then is not to let either time signature take over completely. So it achieves that ambiguous feeling of a lot of rhythmic music. African music is complex in this way, except they wouldn't put it together like I do. However, the idea for us is that we understand fully the way we put it together. Then the game is to stretch it as much and as far as possible. Ultimately I'd be looking for the "feel" and away from the mathematics. But the mathematics sometimes comes in useful for Westerners. It also can be a hindrance, so another problem to solve is always when the maths is positive, and when negative. But it's the "feel" at the end of it all, no matter how we get there, that is KIng or Queen. This is one way. And I think this piece which I call "5 & 3" we'll initiate in Holland. Just a short version as we're still getting to grips with this. Originally I discovered this feel in the 80's and brought it out again to develop it properly this time round. Other compositions I'll write pretty fully out. But no matter how it's done, the important thing is that we are all open for any new developments or ideas that may come up. So the pieces are constantly evolving. This helps to retain the musicians interest. As we go along and stay together I am gradually more and more understanding how to get the best out of the musicians, and they me. *Are you now working on some new material for the Celebration Band, and will you present some of it during the Dutch tour? ANSWER; 6) I think I already answered this question.

2003-06-27

"I have just returned from the "Roaring Hooves" Festival that took place between"

I have just returned from the "Roaring Hooves" Festival that took place between 15th & 22nd June in the South Gobi desert in Mongolia. This is a peaceful meeting of musicians, and participants took part from Azerbaijan, Kyrgystan, Georgia, Turkey, Mongolia and various EEC countries. Some wonderful music. Mainly traditional folk and also some European Classical musicians. I was the only player from what loosely could be called the Jazz/Improv end. I played as a sax soloist, also with Mongolian acrobats (contortionists more like) and a group of percussionists that included a really excellent Turkish Frame Drum & Tarabuka player Murat Coskun. Some of the sites we played at were stunning. Amongst sand dunes, at some amazing sandstone cliffs overlooking a plain that went on for miles. This was an original Dinosaur Grave yard. At an ancient glacier in a mountain pass, and concerts for the nomads who put on a 10 kilometer horse race for us. There's a possibility I can return and play with some Mongolian musicians next time. The other interesting thing is that I shall be playing in Mexico in Nov/Dec with a group of musicians I recorded with last year there in Jalapa. The group includes two of the finest percussionists in the World - Nana Vasconcelos and Cyro Baptista from Brasil. Concerts will be at some interesting sites i.e. Malinalco, a pre Hispanic Aztec ceremonial center and important temple to graduate for the eagle warriors. Cacahuamilpa Inca Caves and the Nezahualcoytl Concert Hall in Mexico City. Then we go on to Cuba. I'm going to try to get this group to Europe next year! All best wishes, Trevor. Trevor Watts (Celebration Band/Moire Music/Arc Records (U.K.)

2003-05-16

"More CD's available"

More CD's are available now A re issue of AMALGAM "Prayer for Peace"? formerly on Transatlantic. Now on CD on FMR CD96-V0402 The others are: FMR CD 108-L1002 MOIRE MUSIC "With One Voice" a re issue of the original ARC recording, and with one additional track. A new double CD that has 3 tracks with Veryan Weston & Trevor playing last year at the Freedom of the City Festival in London, along with other artists like Evan Parker, Sylvia Hallett etc. Emanem 4210. It's called Freedom of the City 2002 (Small groups). Finally Emanem 4069 "6 Dialogues" featuring Veryan Weston & Trevor in duo form.

2003-04-23

"Mongolian "Roaring Hoofs" Festival 2003"

LATEST I was contacted by the director of Theater Basel in Switzerland. In conjunction with a well known Swiss film maker - Jorg Jeshel they plan to make a film about the Mongolian "Roaring Hoofs" Festival which I shall be taking part in this June. They have selected me to be one of the two European participants they will interview for the film. They'll be asking me about my perspective on the festival both before and during it. They will have a meeting with me, they say, before we all go over to Mongolia. The TV stations financing the film will be ARTE, 3 SAT, Swiss TV SF.

2003-04-22

"ENJAMBRE ACUSTICO URUKONGOLO"

ENJAMBRE ACUSTICO URUKONGOLO - DIRECTOR GIBRAN CERVANTES; Gibran Cervantes Nana Vasconcelos Cyro Baptista Ariel Guzik Trevor Watts. A CD is imminent of this group. Trevor shall be in Mexico & Cuba with this group for concerts and rehearsals from Nov 24th until around Dec 8th.

2003-04-03

"Hastings Fishing Trip Festival July 3rd and 4th 2003"

St Mary's

Hastings

UK

Trevor will be playing with Veryan Weston at the Hastings Fishing Trip on July 3rd and 4th. The event will be filmed and at this stage it is expected that the jazz performances will be for the first time "live streamed" over the internet. Check back later for more details. Email: moire@watts9000.freeserve.co.uk

TEL/FAX: 00 44 (0) 1424 443424

2002-09-07

"TREVOR WATTS MOIRE MUSIC GROUP - USA/Canada Tour September 7/22nd 2002"

USA

Trevor Watts (Alto/sop saxes/leader), Colin McKenzie (Bass Gtr), Giampaolo Scatozza (drums) We are now putting together our tour for this September 2002 with the Moire Music Quartet. We have received support from the British Council this time around for our Transatlantic air fares for our appearance at the Guelph Festival (Ontario). The band has previously toured very successfully in North America on about 5 occasions, and also around the World on many other occasions. The last tour in North America was in the year 2000, and we played the San Francisco Jazz Festival, Chicago World Music Festival (2 perfs), Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle and concert in Denver and workshop at the University of Colorado amongst many others, also in Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad. Currently the line up is amongst the best of any Moire Music combinations ever and features one of the best and most innovative bass guitarists in the World today, Colin McKenzie. On drums we have our latest discovery. Giampaolo Scatozza, who is a very talented young drummer from Italy with a great "feel" and inventiveness. Giampaolo studied with Peter Erskine amongst others. He also plays with Trevor watts 8 piece Celebration Band. And it's his blend with the bass guitar of McKenzie that are at the very core of the music. Finally the saxophonist and leader of the group Trevor Watts who has been an innovative saxophonist and composer since the 60's, founder member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Amalgam, London Jazz Composers Orchestra and his own Moire Music Drum Orchestra and groups (1980). This was one of the first groups to bring African traditional musicians into a Contemporary concept. Rhythm is at the heart of Watts' playing, coupled to a strong sense of melody. He has also played individually with Steve Lacy, Bobby Bradford, Archie Shepp & Don Cherry amongst many others. This music blends Jazz & World Music elements, including indigenous Celtic influences, in a very skilful and homogenous way, honed from years of involvement. The group has had many successful collaborations with traditional musicians from different cultures. i.e. Sudan, Ghana, Venezuela, India, Burma, Jamaica & Trinidad to mention a few. And the success of this has been brought about by knowledge, and each member having good workshop skills, therefore being able to fully utilise that knowledge. This is a very exciting and creative group that we feel you will be pleased that you have presented. We have been invited to play at the Guelph Festival (Toronto) Sept 7th 2002 at the start of the tour, and the Monterey Jazz Festival on Sep 22nd 2002 at the end. Trevor Watts (Moire Music Group/Celebration Band/Arc Records U.K.)

TEL/FAX: (00 44) (0) 1424 443424

moire@watts9000.freeserve.co.uk