"A Simple Truth" (FD 1009) is the latest release from two-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Ernie Watts. Scheduled for a street date of September 30, 2014 from the artist's Flying Dolphin Records, this is the latest in a series recorded with his Ernie Watts Quartet. "A Simple Truth" is a concept album; a journey through a "jazz day," starting with early morning daybreak. Watts chose LA pianist Ron Feuer to create the lush orchestral opening, "The Sound: Morning," and closing, "The Sound: Evening" with Watts improvising over both pieces, which encircle the Quartet tunes.
Sunrise gives way to the exquisite ballad "No Lonely Nights" by Keith Jarrett, which begins with an a cappela saxophone solo, a meditation to start the morning. Time moves forward with "The Road We're On," written by Quartet drummer Heinrich Koebberling, a track that swings with its expansion from a blues foundation. Watts' original piece "Acceptance" follows, accenting the rising tempo of midday with increasing energy. But even an energetic Watts composition is always based in melody, the foundation for his high-flying improvisations, connecting with his ability to communicate on multiple levels. Next, the intense heat of Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" hits, at day's peak. "Hope In the Face of Despair," written by Billy Childs, moves the group into warm but pensive reflection. And as the jazz day winds down, we relax into the gentle sounds of "A Simple Truth," another Watts original.Videos