UW Jazz Studies  is honored to present a special eightieth birthday concert featuring two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts! Praised as “one of the greatest living tenor saxophonists, at the top of his game~ (All About Jazz), Watts will be joined by the Andy Wheelock Quartet for this milestone performance, led by UW~s own Director of Jazz Studies on drums, along with a stellar ensemble of colleagues including Brad Goode, trumpet, Ben Markley, piano, and Gonzalo Teppa, bass. Born just one day shy of the concert date, on October 23, 1945, Watts began his career at age 16 and has since become one of the most prolific and versatile saxophone players in music, whose distinctive, expressive sound has cemented his legacy in the jazz and R&B worlds. After studying at Berklee College of Music on a scholarship, Watts joined Buddy Rich~s big band and later spent two decades with Doc Severinsen~s “Tonight Show” band. A ~musician~s musician,~ Watts has been featured on over 500 recordings for artists ranging from Marvin Gaye and Carole King to Frank Zappa, and his distinctive sound can be heard on film soundtracks for “Grease” and “The Color Purple.” In the mid-1980s, Watts returned his focus to jazz as a member of Charlie Haden~s Quartet West. Watts, who co-founded Flying Dolphin Records in 2004, continues to tour internationally with his own quartet, perform as a guest artist with symphonies, and conduct music workshops worldwide.