Charlie Watts’ favourite songs by jazz icons
While The Rolling Stones may be one of the most esteemed rock acts to have graced the planet, that doesn’t necessarily mean that their individual listening habits were exclusive to staying within the parameters of rock and roll.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards will often gladly share their love of figures who inspired them to become the stars they are, with the likes of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry being frequently cited as major influences on their sound. However, as the principal voices behind the project, it’s often their tastes that are hailed as the most significant influences, with the other members not getting as much of an opportunity to declare their admiration for different genres.
For example, long-time drummer Charlie Watts is unsurprisingly a jazz aficionado, and his relaxed and fluid approach to his instrument is primarily a result of his infatuation with the genre. In the years prior to joining the Stones, Watts enjoyed spells with Blues Incorporated and played in various jazz clubs around London, which led to him meeting Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones.
While he may have toned down his jazz flair on the band’s records, it didn’t stop him from enjoying the records in his spare time, and during his 2001 appearance on the iconic BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, two of his picks for songs he’d like to have in his possession if were ever stranded on an island were from jazz icons who sparked his love of the style.
The first of his jazz selections came courtesy of Charlie Parker, with Watts choosing his near-namesake’s ‘Out of Nowhere’ as the standout track from the saxophonist’s catalogue. Speaking about his love of ‘Bird’, he explained that he first heard him when he was in his early teens alongside his neighbour, David Green, who would become a jazz bassist. “I’ve always been in love with people who improvise,” he proclaimed, adding, “I am what I am thanks to this man, in a way”.
Watts would go on to pay tribute to Parker by recording an album alongside his jazz quintet in 1991 that covered material from the legend, aptly titled From One Charlie. Parker’s effortless playing has always been hailed in jazz circles as some of the greatest ever heard, and his adaptability is something that evidently rubbed off on Watts.
For his other jazz selection, the drummer noted how Duke Ellington and His Orchestra played a pivotal role in his developing an affinity for jazz. “I find him a notch above the world of pop,” he argued, selecting his song, ‘Jack the Bear’, as an all-time favourite. Discussing his love of the virtuoso pianist, Watts would continue by explaining that this song perpetually blew his mind.
“Even now, people listen to this and wonder how they did it,” Watts gushed to host Sue Lawley, explaining, “You marvel at it, really. You’re not just marvelling like you would with Stravinsky, or at the players doing it, but the sound they make together is beyond the actual symphony orchestra, I think.”
