Ernie Watts continues to be one of the contemporary greats of straight ahead jazz saxophone.  To use a sports axiom, he's one of the most underrated players on the scene today and deserves to be up there with all of the great players of today and yesterday.  This disc is of a live performance.  I've seen Ernie live many times and he's done a great job of capturing one of the outstanding events in jazz, an Ernie Watts live show.  

Ernie plays superbly as always and his veteran band of is right on it as well.  This is a cd that belongs in everyone's jazz collection.  I'm glad it's in mine!
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Ernie Watts is one of the true giants of the saxophone and only one of a handful worthy of following in the footsteps of John Coltrane and Michael Brecker.  Watts blows powerfully and masterly on this superb live recording!  A truly important recording.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for the third and final day of this live recording project from The Ernie Watts Quartet! My nephew Doug from San Diego was with me and we have been anxiously awaiting this release! Well, good things are worth waiting for because all of the  artistry, musicianship, beauty in the compositions  as well as the unity of the performers in this live set came out just as we remembered! Right from Ernie's happening solo tenor intro on the opening tune, "Hot House", right through the beautiful "Season of Change", the very stylish Michael Brecker tribute, "For Michael", the exciting title cut, "To The Point", to the closer, "Reaching Up", this album is a gem and I believe Ernie and the group's finest playing to date! The playing here is dynamic throughout! Ernie states in his introductory statement that "This is our Point of Truth", "This is who we are",
"This is as good as we get". Well, Ernie's "Good as we get" is greatness and by recording this greatness in a live setting has produced one of the finest jazz recordings to come out in some time! And I would say this even if I wasn't in the audience! Congratulations, Ernie,on making this record, congratulations to your recording company and production company for doing such an excellent job with this project! Keep up the great work! I anxiously await more from The Ernie Watts Quartet!

Don Bell
Stroudsburg, Pa
                            Read more...