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Watters Brothers
Ken Watters / Harry Watters
Summit Recording Artists / Jupiter Artists-Clinicians
 
click here for song samples
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All Watters CDs available at major CD outlets,
or directly through Summit Records (www.summitrecords.com).
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RIYEL
(RIYEL leaders Andre Atkins, Ken Watters & Yves Abel)
RIYEL is Ken Watters' new Haitian / Roots flavored jazz group.
Their first CD (as a band) will be released internationally on Summit Records
May 6, 2009.
Click here for a song sample
Co-led with bassist Yves Abel & trombonist / vocalist Andre Atkins,
Riyel (pronounced ree-YELL, meaning "alleyway" or "backstreet" in Haitian Creole) members also include: Dener Ceide and/or Ralphe Conde (guitars), Mushy Widmaier (piano & keyboards), Frantz Timothe' aka "Ti Fanfan" (drums),
Alix Nozille (congas, percussion), Wid Pierre (percussion)
& Ken Watters (trumpet, flugelhorn & co-leader).
Their self-titled debut CD will feature all of the musicians listed above, plus special guest artists Dadou Pasquet (guitar), Kevin Bales (piano / keyboard), Abel Pabon (piano / keyboard), Reginald Petit-Homme (drums) & Tom Mitchell (saxophones).
Ken Watters was recently interviewed about this new band
by a prominent Haitian Jazz site, Karijazz.
Click here to read interview.
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(I want to send out a special shout-out to my good friend JAKE SMITH!
Jake - practice that trumpet EVERY DAY!
OK, buddy?)
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KEN WATTERS DATES
and
WATTERS BROTHERS DATES
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June 17 - 24 / out-of-pocket
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June 27 / private engagement
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W/ Elsie Azar (piano)
*piano & trumpet duo music / performing classic jazz standards... Ms. Azar is a wonderfully tasteful & learned jazz pianist who led a highly successful Chicago-based jazz trio for many years.
She has remained one of Huntsville's best-kept "secrets" for FAR too many years - we aim to change that...
Date: July 3
Time: 7 - 10:00PM
Venue: 801 Franklin
Huntsville, AL
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W/ US Beat
Date: July 18
Time: TBA
Venue: TBA
Atlanta
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W.C. Handy Music Festival
(Also featuring: Holly Hoffman, Tom Wolfe, Mundell Love, Mike Wofford, Mike Sheppard, Bill Goodwin, Jim Fergusen, Neal Starkey, Robert "Dig" Dickson, Devere Pride, Robert Redd, Chuck Redd, Laszlo Gardony, Sonny Harris, Ray Reach, Howard Lamb, Gary Lamb, Karen Gruber, Ike Harris, Rick Bell, plus many others TBA...)
Dates: July 20 - 27
Times: TBA
Venues: TBA
Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia & Sheffield, AL
*Best festival in the south & one of the highlights of my year... Try & make it out to the Shoals for this next summer... The most unique, positive & special "musical hangs" that I've ever been a part of...
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W/ Karen Johns
(Superb Nashville-based jazz vocalist)
Date: August 14
Time: 7:30PM
Venue: Burritt on the Mountain
City Lights & Stars Concert Series
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Ken Watters Group
Date: August 15
Time: 7 - 11 (ish...)
Venue: VBC North Hall
Huntsville, AL
(Annual benefit for the American Cancer Society)
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Ken Watters / Guest Trumpet Soloist
W/ Williamsburg Consort
& Clinician (at various area venues)
Dates: September 13 - 17
Time: 7:00PM
Final Concert Venue: Warhill High School
Williamsburg, VA
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W/ US Beat
Date: October 3
Time: TBA
Venue: Fernbank Museum
Atlanta
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W/ Ray Reach
(Little Big Band)
Date: October 10
Times: TBA
Venue: Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham, AL
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(Harry helping his Dad design spaceships - New Hope, AL / 1963)
Watters Brothers Quintet
Date: TBA (late fall)
Time: 7:30PM
Venue: University of Alabama in Huntsville / Chan Auditorium
*benefit concert for Harry H. Watters Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Jazz
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W/ US Beat
Date: December 12
Time: TBA
Venue: Fernbank Museum
Atlanta
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Check back often - calendar is updated weekly (most of the time)...
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HARRY WATTERS DATES
*Due to privacy issues, much of Harry Watters' calendar remains confidential.
We apologize for the inconvenience!
For questions regarding specific Harry Watters appearances, feel free to contact Harry directly at harry@wattersbrothers.com.
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Ken's August 2008 Tabou Combo Haiti Tour Diary is now posted
on Tabou's website (in their "latest news" section of the homepage).
Click here to read it
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MUSIC SAMPLES:
MSN Music
VH1
Barnes & Noble
Yahoo Music
(or most major music retail outlets including ITunes / search for our names)
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WATTERS BIO INFORMATION
Ken & Harry have an onstage rapport that is electrifying to audiences.
Their last three CDs for Summit Records (Brothers, Brothers II & Brothers III) climbed to the top 50 on the US jazz charts where they remained for at least six weeks each - Brothers III for 11 weeks - and are continually receiving airplay across the US, Canada, Australia, Europe & parts of the Far East.
Their music has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, NPR's Jazz South program,
PRI's Jazz After Hours (hosted by Jim Wilke) & has been used on a feature television documentary by The Freedom Forum (Washington, DC).
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PERFORMANCE CREDITS
Below is a partial listing of artists they have performed and/or recorded with
(together & individually):
Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Greg Allman, Marc Anthony, Army Blues, TLC,
Deniece Williams, Kelis, Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings, Al Hirt, Kevin Mahogany, Erich Kunzel, James Moody, Pete Fountain, Philip Harper, Russell Malone, Chris Potter, Arturo Sandoval, Reginald Policard, Carl Fontana,
Steve Coleman, Bill Watrous, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Jean Luc Guanel, Bobby "Blue" Bland, John Abercrombie,
Dave Holland, Terry Gibbs, Mundell Lowe, Ravi Coltrane, Mingus Big Band, Toshiko Akiyoshi, The Vanguard Orchestra (Village Vanguard, NYC), Roger Hawkins, Fred Wesley, Roland Vazquez, Harry Connick Jr., Mike Stern, Richie Cole, Tommy Talton, Dave Valentin, Anthony Jackson, Dan Penn, David Liebman, Eartha Kitt, Rick Hall,
Peter Bernstein, The Fifth Dimension, Herbie Mann, Petula Clarke, Gregory Hutchinson, Tabou Combo,
The Platters, Little Milton, Marilyn McCoo, Phyllis Diller, Jimmy Hall, Clarence Carter, Russell Malone,
Bonnie Bramlett, Billy Swann & Randy Brecker.
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EDUCATION
Harry attended Florida State University prior to completing his Bachelors in Music Performance from The University of North Texas & his Masters of Music from Louisiana State University.
Harry has been a teaching assistant at University of New Orleans (under Ellis Marsalis), Professor of Trombone at Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond, LA) & is currently Professor of Trombone at
George Mason University (Fairfax, VA).
After graduation from University of North Texas, Harry joined & later became the youngest leader to date of the Dukes of Dixieland (at 26 years old). Harry is currently a member of The Army Blues Big Band & The US Army Brass Quintet, both based in Washington, DC.
Ken finished high school at Interlochen Arts Academy before attending
The University of North Texas & Manhattan School of Music.
He has studied privately with Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Harold Danko, Jack Walrath,
Lew Soloff, Harold Lieberman, Roland Vazquez, Dave LaLama, Rodney Jones & Kenny Wheeler.
He has been an Adjuct Professor of Trumpet & Jazz Studies at The University of Alabama in Huntsville & is currently a freelance musician in the Atlanta area.
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WATTERS CDs
Their second CD (Brothers II) features pianist David Marlow, bassist Roy Yarbrough,
drummer Jay Frederick, guitarist Tom Wolfe & pianist John Miller.
Southern Exposure, the Summit Records debut CD by Ken Watters Group, features David Marlow, Roy Yarbrough, Jay Frederick & special guest saxophonist & Palmetto Recording Artist Joel Frahm.
All Watters' recordings for Summit Records are produced by Southern music legend Johnny Sandlin (Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, Cher, Marshall Tucker, Dixie Dregs, Colonel Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit, etc).
Each Watters CD has spent progressively more time on the US jazz chart than its predecessor, with Brothers III reaching #22 in North America & remaining on the top 50 for more than 11 weeks...
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| Albums: |
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Brothers |
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| Brothers II |
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Brothers III
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Ken and Harry Watters play Jupiter Instruments Exclusively |
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Ken Watters is a SESAC Affiliated Jazz Composer |
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