The old adage, "better late than never", certainly applies to WORLD SONIC, Watts' thoroughly engaging 2005 collection of alto saxophone solos. Watts' concept of solo music is closer to that of Steve Lacy, in that the solos are a different manifestation of concepts being refined on an ongoing basis, as opposed to articulating a separate body of procedures and materials the way Anthony Braxton did in his early solo music. In using the non - Western rhythms, scales and structures that are the bulwarks of his ensemble music, Watts also sidesteps the pitfalls of generic free improvisation. Without the layers of percussion and the entwining bass guitar lines, Watts has the space to explore circular breath - propelled repetition, and to shape his themes by rushing a phrase or letting a rest linger, and he repeatedly exploits these opportunities. Subsequently, there is a more slow burn, meditative intensity to this set. For the purposes of examining the constituent parts of Watts' approach, the set is invaluable. - Bill Shoemaker
|