Bar Talk—Jeff "Tain" Watts

(Columbia CK 86538)

Sometimes all you want is some pure, unabashed, finger poppin', mind boppin', cranium bending Jazz with plenty of angles in the changes, egg-scrambling saxophone and some severe swing on the back beat rhythms. Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis music is usually what the Jazz doctor prescribes. Well, don't forget about Jeff "Tain" Watts and his second solo CD on Columbia. After all, he's usually the drummer of record on these mischievous sessions.

Columbia

Bar Talk distills rollicking Jazz like it's everyday life, and you're just chattering away and hanging out with friends. Who knows what you decide to talk about when you get together with the mates for a chinwag. It just happens and it goes where it goes. The same goes for Tain's jams (on the surface, anyway) with special guests Branford, Ravi Coltrane, James Genus and Paul Bollenback. The heart and soul of Bar Talk is tracks two, three and four. We love "Vodville" where Branford squeals his saxophone like the obnoxious drunk you try to ignore when you're in some bar trying to have a stiff one and sort things out in your head. "Stevie In Rio" is a weird and wonderful combination tribute to Stevie Wonder, Ivan Lins (an amazingly funny guy for any of you who have had the time to hang out with him and Keith Jarrett. Jarrett is the unlikely ingredient here, because he would probably be the guy in the corner of the bar brooding on his own.) Finally, "Mr. JJ" is a scuttling, free-blowing jam that's basically a reunion of Michael Brecker's Two Blocks From the Edge lineup, with Branford thrown in for extra spice.

Now if you ask us a couple months from now which tracks measure up on Bar Talk, we'll probably give you a whole different set of faves. Meanwhile, rave on Tain, with that tongue-wagging thing he does behind the drum kit—the same thing Michael Jordan does when he has the rock and he's ready to dunk. Awesome stuff, dude.