Two-time Grammy Award winner Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players in music. It has been more than fifty years since he first picked up a saxophone, and from age sixteen on he has been playing professionally, initially while still attending school. Watts has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa, always exhibiting his unforgettable trademark sound. In 2014, Watts received the prestigious Frankfurt Music Prize given by the city of Frankfurt, Germany. It is presented to both classical and non-classical musicians. Of the 32 current winners, only 6 have been jazz musicians. Per the Frankfurt Music Prize Foundation, Watts was "selected for his strikingly melodic saxophone style and his original tone language, with which he has already enriched several generations of musicians. "Previous jazz honorees include Chick Corea, Paquito D'Rivera, and John McLaughlin. In 2015, Watts was selected as Guest of Honor at the Telluride Jazz Festival in Colorado, and played on the Ernie Watts Main Stage with his own Quartet.

 

Watts describes his ongoing journey: "I see music as the common bond having a potential to bring all people together in peace and harmony. All things in the physical world have vibration; the music I choose to play is the energy vibration that touches a common bond in people. I believe that music is God singing through us, an energy to be used for good."

 

 

Jeremy Monteiro is a jazz pianist, singer, composer and music educator. He has performed and won critical acclaim in many parts of the world; in Singapore, he has been dubbed "Singapore's King of Swing" by the local press. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2002.

 

Jacky Chen is a young jazz guitar, singer and composer. He went to Central Oklahoma university to gain a jazz guitar master degree after graduated from Shanghai Conservatory Of Music.his performance deeply affected by Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, Jack Wilkins, Peter Bernstein and Sheryl Bailey.

 

Piano: Jeremy Monteiro
Sax/Flute: Ernie Watts
Bass: Christie Smith
Drums: Shawn Kelly