Eric Watson (musician)
Encyclopedia
Eric Watson is a US-American jazz
pianist and composer living in France
.
After graduating from Oberlin Conservatory
Watson moved to Paris. In 1982 he completed his first trio recording with Paul Motian
and Ed Schuller
(Conspiracy) followed by two solo albums. Since then he worked in a long-time duo with doublebass player John Lindberg which became extended with Albert Mangelsdorff
and Ed Thigpen
. Watson also worked with Steve Lacy
, with Linda Sharrock
and with Joëlle Léandre
(Palimpseste, 1991). His Trio with Mark Dresser
and Ed Thigpen (Silent Hearts, 1998) was the basis for the "Full Metal Quartets" (1999/2000) with saxophone player Bennie Wallace
. His solo piano recording Sketches of Solitude (2002) became one of the best-selling jazz albums in France. In 2003 and 2005 he toured in Europa, Asia, and Australia with Christof Lauer
.
His dance score The Peking Ballet was commissioned by Radio City Music Hall and seen by 200,000 people during the summer of 1984, while multi-concert series of his music have been presented by the Lyon Opera and the State Theater in Poitiers. His numerous commissions include Martial Arts (1986) written for Martial Solal
and the Orchestre National de Jazz (French National Jazz Orchestra) and Bénévoles, written for the Australian violinist Jane Peters
.
In 2001, Watson was appointed artistic director of La Villette Jazz Festival, and musical consultant to the director of the Cité de la Musique, Laurent Bayle.
In 2003 he was appointed as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
Memories of Paris, en solo, - Out note, 2010
Midnight torsion, avec E. Caron, R. Huby et C. Tchamitchian - émouvance, 2009
Road Movies, avec C. Lauer, C. Tchamitchian et C. Marguet - Act, 2004
Sketchs of solitude, en solo - Night bird, 2002
Full metal quartet, avec E. Thigpen, B. Wallace et M. Dresser - Owl records, 2000
Silent hearts, avec M. Dresser et E. Thigpen - Free flights, 1999
Punk Circus, avec J. Lindberg et E. Thigpen - Freelance, 1994
Listen to the night, en duo avec L. Sharrock - OwlRecords, 1994
Palimpseste, en duo avec J. Léandre - Hat Art, 1991
Spirit of Mingus, en duo avec S. Lacy - Freelance, 1991
Charles Ives - Oeuvres pour piano - Accord, 1991
Your tonight is my tomorrow, avec S. Lacy, J-P Celea et A. Scott - Owl records, 1987
Child in the sky, en solo - Owl records, 1985
Conspiracy, avec P. Motian et E. Schuller - Owl records, 1982
Bulls blood, en solo - Owl records, 1980
Related Artists:
Laszlo Gardony
Mary Lou Willliams
Joe Gilman
Deidre Rodman
Armen Donelian
Mat Murucci
Bill Carrothers
Phil Markowitz
Karel Boehlee
Ronnie Mathews
Trio CEG
John Bunch
James Uhart
Alon Yavnai
Donald Brown
Kirk Lightsey
Joe Gilman Trio, Joe Henderson
Neonila Lagodyuk
Ronnie Mathews, Stafford James, Tony Reedus
Trio Karel Boehlee
Marc van Roon
Marius Nordal
Sunna Gunnlaugs
Rob Van Bavel
Fredrik Mellqvist Trio
Bob McHugh
David Shenton
Marialy Pacheco Trio
Matt Ray
The Leaders Trio
Jarmo Savolainen
Eric Watson Trio
Jonathan Gee
Markus Burger
Warren Bernhardt
Harold Danko
Stan Tracey
Boris Netsvetaev
Upper Left Trio
Vertebrata
James Williams
Roland Hanna
John Beasley
Eric Reed
Reggie Buie Trio
Geoffrey Keezer
Lucky Guri
Jacob Christoffersen Trio
Stephen Majewski
Joe Bonner
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist and composer living in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
After graduating from Oberlin Conservatory
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
Watson moved to Paris. In 1982 he completed his first trio recording with Paul Motian
Paul Motian
Stephen Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer of Armenian extraction.He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups...
and Ed Schuller
Ed Schuller
Edwin G. Schuller is an American jazz bassist and composer.Schuller was born in New York City; his father is Gunther Schuller and his younger brother is drummer George Schuller. Schuller learned clarinet and guitar as a child and switched to bass at age 15; that same year he had his first...
(Conspiracy) followed by two solo albums. Since then he worked in a long-time duo with doublebass player John Lindberg which became extended with Albert Mangelsdorff
Albert Mangelsdorff
Albert Mangelsdorff was one of the most accredited and innovative trombonists of modern jazz who became famous for his distinctive technique of playing multiphonics.-Biography:...
and Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
Edmund Leonard "Ed" Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965...
. Watson also worked with Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
, with Linda Sharrock
Linda Sharrock
Linda Sharrock is an American jazz singer....
and with Joëlle Léandre
Joëlle Léandre
Joëlle Léandre is a double bassist, vocalist, and composer active in new music and free improvisation....
(Palimpseste, 1991). His Trio with Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser is an American double bass player and composer.-Biography:He has performed and recorded with many of the luminaries of "new" jazz composition and improvisation. For ten years he performed with the Anthony Braxton Quartet, as well as diverse groups led by Ray Anderson, Tim Berne,...
and Ed Thigpen (Silent Hearts, 1998) was the basis for the "Full Metal Quartets" (1999/2000) with saxophone player Bennie Wallace
Bennie Wallace
Bennie Wallace is an American post bop, swing music and jazz tenor saxophonist born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, probably better known for his work with Monty Alexander and Sheila Jordan during the 1970s. He settled in New York in 1971 and played with Barry Harris, Buddy Rich, Dannie Richmond...
. His solo piano recording Sketches of Solitude (2002) became one of the best-selling jazz albums in France. In 2003 and 2005 he toured in Europa, Asia, and Australia with Christof Lauer
Christof Lauer
Christof Lauer is a German jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist, born in Melsungen, Germany, perhaps most well known in Europe where he has done projects with various musicians, such as Palle Danielsson, Carla Bley, Michel Godard, Volker Kriegel, Michel Portal, Maria Joao, Anthony Cox, Gary Husband,...
.
His dance score The Peking Ballet was commissioned by Radio City Music Hall and seen by 200,000 people during the summer of 1984, while multi-concert series of his music have been presented by the Lyon Opera and the State Theater in Poitiers. His numerous commissions include Martial Arts (1986) written for Martial Solal
Martial Solal
Martial Solal is a French jazz pianist and composer, who is probably most widely known for the music he wrote for Jean-Luc Godard's debut feature film À bout de souffle .-Biography:...
and the Orchestre National de Jazz (French National Jazz Orchestra) and Bénévoles, written for the Australian violinist Jane Peters
Jane Peters
Jane Peters is an Australian classical violinist. At twelve she won a medal in France and performed on Australian TV. In 1982 she received her BA and her teacher was Lyndall Hendrickson In 1986 she won the Bronze Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition....
.
In 2001, Watson was appointed artistic director of La Villette Jazz Festival, and musical consultant to the director of the Cité de la Musique, Laurent Bayle.
In 2003 he was appointed as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
- Discographie sélective
Memories of Paris, en solo, - Out note, 2010
Midnight torsion, avec E. Caron, R. Huby et C. Tchamitchian - émouvance, 2009
Road Movies, avec C. Lauer, C. Tchamitchian et C. Marguet - Act, 2004
Sketchs of solitude, en solo - Night bird, 2002
Full metal quartet, avec E. Thigpen, B. Wallace et M. Dresser - Owl records, 2000
Silent hearts, avec M. Dresser et E. Thigpen - Free flights, 1999
Punk Circus, avec J. Lindberg et E. Thigpen - Freelance, 1994
Listen to the night, en duo avec L. Sharrock - OwlRecords, 1994
Palimpseste, en duo avec J. Léandre - Hat Art, 1991
Spirit of Mingus, en duo avec S. Lacy - Freelance, 1991
Charles Ives - Oeuvres pour piano - Accord, 1991
Your tonight is my tomorrow, avec S. Lacy, J-P Celea et A. Scott - Owl records, 1987
Child in the sky, en solo - Owl records, 1985
Conspiracy, avec P. Motian et E. Schuller - Owl records, 1982
Bulls blood, en solo - Owl records, 1980
Related Artists:
Laszlo Gardony
Mary Lou Willliams
Joe Gilman
Deidre Rodman
Armen Donelian
Mat Murucci
Bill Carrothers
Phil Markowitz
Karel Boehlee
Ronnie Mathews
Trio CEG
John Bunch
James Uhart
Alon Yavnai
Donald Brown
Kirk Lightsey
Joe Gilman Trio, Joe Henderson
Neonila Lagodyuk
Ronnie Mathews, Stafford James, Tony Reedus
Trio Karel Boehlee
Marc van Roon
Marius Nordal
Sunna Gunnlaugs
Rob Van Bavel
Fredrik Mellqvist Trio
Bob McHugh
David Shenton
Marialy Pacheco Trio
Matt Ray
The Leaders Trio
Jarmo Savolainen
Eric Watson Trio
Jonathan Gee
Markus Burger
Warren Bernhardt
Harold Danko
Stan Tracey
Boris Netsvetaev
Upper Left Trio
Vertebrata
James Williams
Roland Hanna
John Beasley
Eric Reed
Reggie Buie Trio
Geoffrey Keezer
Lucky Guri
Jacob Christoffersen Trio
Stephen Majewski
Joe Bonner
External links and sources
- http://nfo.net/calendar/jul05.htm
- http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?bio=1&manufacturers_id=28