Jeff “Tain” Watts at the Vortex

At London's Vortex Jazz Club, renowned drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts presented a compelling live set that traversed his extensive career while offering a glimpse into his upcoming album, "After Mask." The performance, marked by a distinctive Halloween motif, saw Watts donning a vintage cape gifted by his father over four decades ago, adding a personal and symbolic layer to the evening's proceedings.

Opening with an inventive interpretation of Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners," the ensemble transformed the iconic melody through a textured guitar riff reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix's style, performed by guitarist Paul Bollenback. This set the tone for a night where rhythmic complexity met accessible exuberance, highlighting Watts's signature use of metric modulation and dynamic interplay.

The group, featuring pianist Jason Rebello, bassist Orlando le Fleming, and Bollenback, demonstrated remarkable cohesion despite this being their inaugural public collaboration as a quartet. Their rendition of “7 11” exemplified this, seamlessly shifting between meters of 7 and 11, blending influences that evoke a fusion of James Brown’s groove and Stravinsky’s rhythmic innovation.

Watts's composition “Katrina,” drawn from his "Watts" album, underscored the deep musical rapport between Watts and Bollenback, who share a partnership spanning 35 years. The piece unfolded as a conversational exchange between drum and guitar, underscoring themes of familiarity amidst fresh improvisation.

An excerpt from “Of August Moon” followed, paying homage to playwright August Wilson. The piece juxtaposed an Afro-Cuban rhythmic vamp with a more contemplative, waltz-like passage, reflecting the nuanced storytelling present in Watts's work. The performance included a commanding drum solo that transitioned into a poignant solo piano moment, commanding the audience's rapt attention.

The latter portion of the set featured two slower compositions dedicated to pianist Ellis Marsalis and August Wilson’s character Aunt Ester. “Elegy” and “Sage,” respectively, embodied reflective and spiritual qualities. “Sage,” a piece from Watts’s forthcoming record, was performed vocally by Watts himself, with Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones slated to contribute vocals on the studio version. Orlando le Fleming’s bass solo stood out for its emotive power, reinforcing the ensemble's synergy.

Concluding the evening, the band delivered “The Impaler,” a piece inspired by Vlad the Impaler and one of Watts's earliest compositions. This high-energy number contrasted with the prior introspective selections, closing the set with a dynamic flourish. A brief rendition of “Blue Tain” provided a fitting coda, leaving the audience with a sense of having journeyed through a spectrum of moods and textures.

Throughout the concert, the musicians maintained a balance between complexity and accessibility, showcasing Watts’s ability to weave intellectual musical structures with palpable emotional resonance. The event served not only as a celebration of Watts’s enduring legacy but also as an introduction to new material set for release on Sunnyside Records in January 2027.

Details about the album "After Mask" remain limited, but the performance indicated an ambitious project that continues Watts’s exploration of rhythm, narrative, and collaboration. The evening at the Vortex exemplified how established artists can reinvent and recontextualize their work, engaging audiences with both reverence and innovation.