11/5/08

FREE DRUM CLINIC // MUSIC HALL WEEKEND: Jeff "Tain" Watts // India, The Princess of Salsa


JEFF “TAIN” WATTS FREE DRUM CLINIC AND REHEARSAL @ JAZZ CAFÉ AT MUSIC HALL on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH FROM 11 AM TO 12:30 PM

Jazz Masters Classes is proud to have drummer extraordinaire, Jeff “Tain ”Watts give a free drum clinic on Saturday, November 8th at Jazz Café at Music Hall, from 11 AM until 12:30 PM

Attendees will also be able to view the Quartets rehearsal.Watts, whose Quartet plays a quartet of shows with a pair on both Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November 8th, at 10 PM and midnight , is an explosive and technically brilliant drummer who has worked with both Marsalis Brothers on 3 Grammy-winning albums, Prog-Rock guitar God, Steve Vai, and even singer-songwriter, Aimee Mann.The Jazz Masters Class for drummers is free and will commence at 11AM with Watts hosting the proceedings until 12:30 PM

Later that day Jeff “Tain” Watts and his hot-shot trio of sidemen, Jeff “Tain” Watts Quartet, will play 2 sets a night at Jazz Café, November 7th and 8th at 10PM and 12 Midnight each night.

Raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Watts is one of the most respected jazz drummers in the world today, Jeff started out majoring in classical percussion at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University, where he studied to be a timpanist, but then matriculated to the Berklee School of Music, where he pursued jazz studies alongside such soon to be household name players as Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, Greg Osby, Aimee Mann, Steve Vai and Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

Jeff Watts joined the Wynton Marsalis Quartet in 1981 and proceeded to win three Grammy Awards with the ensemble. Watts left Wynton Marsalis in 1988. After working with George Benson, Harry Connick. Jr. and McCoy Tyner, he joined the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 1989.

Watts has worked in the film and television industry as both a musician on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as an actor, Rhythm Jones in Spike Lee’s "Mo Better Blues". Jeff joined Kenny Garrett's band after returning to New York in 1995 after three years in LA on the Tonight Show. Watts also continued to record and tour with Branford Marsalis as well as Danilo Perez, Michael Brecker, Betty Carter, Kenny Kirkland, Courtney Pine, Geri Allen, Alice Coltrane, Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Ravi Coltrane.

Watts’ latest album is with his other group, Tain and the Ebonix is the 2007 Dark Key Music release, "Folk's Songs". http://chambersoftain.com/

Tain’s Quartet boasts a power packed line-up featuring, Bassist, Chris Smith, Sax man, Kebbi Williams and Lawrence Field on piano who together, make this another all-star night at Jazz Café.

The Jeff “Tain” Watts Quartet are also a part of the Practice Your Cool in ¾ Time package, along with Victor Goines (Nov 28-29) and Javon Jackson with Les McCann (Dec 12-13).





Sunday, November 9th at 7:30 PM
La India, “The Princess of Salsa” will be in Detroit for one show at the historic Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

Born Linda Caballero in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx, she re-named herself, La India (The Indian) and has since made a huge impact in the world of Latin music. Her style focuses on mixing Latin music with emotional lyrical overtones. Her musical idols were singers, Celia Cruz and Ella Fitzgerald, and at age seven she began to take opera lessons, but would quit shortly afterward.

But at the age of 16, after modeling briefly, India decided to become a singer in the dance group TKA, one of the first musical experimenters of the Latin Hip Hop generation of the 1980’s. This emergent style was one of the most important musical styles to come out of the streets of New York in many years. La India’s success was also helped along by Producer, “Little Louie” Vega, whom she later married, then divorced. He would play a very important role in India’s personal life and professional career to come.

She released her debut album in 1989, Breaking Night, which featured hip hop and pop music styles. But after her debut, La India wanted to emphasize more of her Latin roots, and started to forge her own style of music. Collaborations with several other leading musicians like Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Grover Mitchell and Sergio George only helped to solidify her and her radical salsa style into the mainstream Latin music industry.
In 1992, Palmieri wrote and co-produced all of the songs from her album, Llego La India. In 1994, she found herself on the Top 50 Billboard Latin Charts with Dicen Que Soy for months, which was produced by Sergio George.

That year also saw her collaboration with Marc Anthony on a duet, Vivir lo Nuestro, which was a hit for both artists.

In 1996, her album, Jazzin’, produced by Tito Puente, featured such genre standards as “Fever”, “Love for Sale”, “Going Out of My Head” and “What a Difference a Day Makes”. Also in 1996, a remix album, Mega Mix was released featuring many of her favorite songs. 1997 brought Sobre El Furgo to the fore with Celia Cruz. 1999 marked the release of yet another La India album, Sola, with songs such as Hielo.

In 2003, La India released "Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón". The first single, the salsa romantic tune "Sedúceme", became a hit in the Latin Charts, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks for several weeks and was La India's first number 1 song. "Sedúceme", brought her worldwide attention, as well, as numerous awards and nominations, including two Latin Grammy nominations for Best Salsa Album and Best Tropical Song in 2003, and her third Grammy Award nomination for Best Salsa Album in 2004.
In 2006, she released the CD,” Soy Diferente” which contained two hit songs, the title track and “Solamente Una Noche”. In 2007, La India won two Latin Billboard Awards. Best Female Tropical Album of the Year for “Soy Diferente”, and a Latin Dance Club Play track of the year for, ”Just For One Night / Solamente Una Noche”.

Jazz Café at Music Hall (this place is awesome!)

350 Madison

Detroit, MI 48226

313.887.8498