 |
| From the left: Wendell Brunious, Dennis Mackrel, Jerome Richardson, Keter Betts, Monk Rowe, Bill Watrous, Rick Montalbano |
Readers may
have noticed my absence from writing this blog. All my spare time has been
spent preparing uploads for the Fillius Jazz YouTube channel, where
complete interviews have been posted for more than half of our oral history
sessions. The death of Bill Watrous, however, has returned me to the blog. My
interview with Bill, viewable here, was comprehensive and congenial, but
there is more backstory to be shared about my association with him.
In the
spring of 1999, in true cosmic fashion, Bill’s promo kit arrived unexpectedly
on my desk just as I was seeking a trombone player to participate on my
upcoming recording of “Jazz Life.” This album of original compositions would
eventually include myself plus six members, three of whom are now deceased:
bassist Keter Betts, saxophonist Jerome Richardson, and now trombonist Bill
Watrous. Rounding out the ensemble were Rick Montalbano, Dennis Mackrel and
Wendell Brunious. Before I started the archive project I had always assumed
that artists of the stature of Bill Watrous would be unavailable to me.
However, every artist I contacted happily agreed to the engagement. I learned
along the way that jazz musicians always have dates in their calendars to fill,
and a gig is a gig. Bill proved to be full of positive energy as well as the
consummate musician. He entertained the group with his personal cache of jazz
stories, while treating the music as if he was in an L.A. recording studio. One
of my favorite moments on the recording is during the improvisation section of BeyondCategory at the 2:34 mark where Bill seamlessly extends Wendell’s last
improvised phrase, then launches into his own striking solo. As trumpeter Joe
Wilder said of improvisation, you always want to make a smooth transition, as perfectly
exemplified in this moment.
Our paths
crossed again at jazz conventions, and over the years we exchanged phone calls
where our lengthy conversations extended beyond music and into the ups and
downs of everyday life. Oddly enough, Bill’s wife Maryanne occasionally
referred to Bill as “Monk.”
Bill’s
passing caught me off-guard. He always struck me as younger than his years,
probably due to his distinctive Price Valiant haircut, penchant for jean
jackets, and his poignant observations on current events. Adios Mr. Watrous,
and thank you for our friendship.
Posts
