MUSIC

Da Camera of Houston presents WATTS.  Featuring Jeff “Tain” Watts, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride and David Sánchez. Friday, April 8, 2011; at 8:00 PM, in the Cullen Theater, Wortham Theater Center.

Called a “rhythmic juggernaut” by NPR Music, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts (pictured) combines forces with Nicholas Patyon on trumpet, David Sánchez on saxophone and Christian McBride on bass.

Inspired by the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles and by legendary bassist Charles Mingus, the WATTS project is a 21st century foray into percussion and politics, swing and sarcasm, improvisation and irony.

“a piano-less quartet going for broke.” – NPR Music

“a kind of pure, extremely musical percussion. [Jeff “Tain” Watts] spends time inside rhythmic patterns that are complex but not flashy; he sounds as if he’s knocking down the formalized patterns of jazz drumming and starting from scratch.” – The New York Times

The jazz series also includes Tierney Sutton Band, Anat Cohen, Stefon Harris and Blackout, Lionel Loueke and Geri Allen.