Customer Reviews

Citizen Tain

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4 star:		(2)
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Jeff "Tain" Watts is, without a doubt, one of the best jazz drummers out there today. I've seen the man live many times, and he just flat-out kills. His new album is the best jazz release I've heard this year. Assembled here is a wealth of talent, including the Marsalis brothers, the incredible Kenny Kirkland, and the sensational alto player Kenny Garrett, for a collection of tunes that swing so hard you might get seasick. Of course, Tain's playing is top-notch -- the man GROOVES. If you like real jazz (not that smooth jazz garbage) you will totally dig this album.

I first heard Jeff Tain Watts on Branford Marsalis's "Footsteps of Our Fathers" CD. His playing was a standout; crisp, multidimensional, intelligent. And so I bought this debut CD, recorded about four years ago.

I find myself returning to "Citizen Tain" again and again, playing it in my office, playing it on the street. It's that rich, that varied. Smart and tight, languid, romantic, introspective, impassioned. And sounding so easy, so inevitable, like the sun rising in the East. Each time I listen, I find something I hadn't quite gotten before.

I feel fortunate to have discovered "Citizen Tain."

Having purchased this cd a few weeks ago, I must state that this is a fantastic cd. Jeff Tain is a superb drummer and his choices on this recording are excellent. All artists display excellent musicianship. There's a special and sad sentiment to the late great Kenny Kirkland. His playing is outstanding. This cd grooves, moves, and inspires. This is what true jazz is all about.

it seems funny that jeff "tain" watts is releasing a debut, he's been on the scene for years. this album contains all the elements that have made him an in demand drummer for some of the giants (betty carter, for instance)and a regular with the brothers marsalis. tain knows how to swing, both subtly and hard. his burnouts are incredible as he somehow stays within the groove even when it becomes free. but he can also use the brushes on ballads to create one of those misty blue midnight hours. this is a very satisfying album.

I've been repeating "Pools of Amber" for for the last hour now. Listening to these guys go to work, is the most inspiration that I've had this year so far. When you're driving on the highway, blast this in your car! Stand out from the crowd!

As a whole, this recording does not come much as a surprise. On this CD, you`ll find much of the tunes long since associated with Tain. It nevertheless contains some really great music. My favorites are Attainement and Sigmund Groid. On The Impaler Wynton Marsalis is playing as if he`d be 20 again.