Search - Noble Watts :: Return of the Thin Man

The Thin man is gone

Kemal | New York | 12/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like a lot of Americans I didn't even know that Noble Watts had died in August of this year. It wasn't until a friend in Germany called a few days later that I found out the Thin Man had gone and left us. Well he was close to eighty, I guess he earned it.



My friend new because Noble's death had earned a mention on the national news in Germany, but like a lot of old musicians he is better known outside his home country than in. I went down to the local paper and picked up his obit; they had ran a little something a many pages back. Fair enough, not many sax players make the front page.



Watts started out touring with Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. In the late fifties to early sixties he was the leader of the house band at Sugar Ray Robinson's Harlem lounge. Watts' fiery sax propelled his instrumental recordings "Hard Times" and "Jookin" which both did well. Later though he recorded less and disappeared, like a lot of great black musicians from the mid-century, back into obscurity in the South.



I grew up with a 45s by the Thin Man, but he had faded to just a few tunes in my head until one day somebody found the Thin Man down in Florida still playing the occasional gig. This led to "The Return of the Thin Man" an incredible album that eclipsed everything that came before it. This album is really about the rebirth of a man, and the music has all the skill of the young Watts, with a far deeper soul. There are some great numbers but "Slop Bucket" with Taj Mahal on guitar has to stand out as my favorite. I trekked down to Florida once and caught him live at a little dive outside of Daytona, and I can tell you the man plays some serious sax. I can't tell you how great it was to watch a legend walk the stage. I count it as one of the greatest performance I have witnessed.



So the Thin Man is gone to blow for St. Peter, but if you look around you can find his music. Trust me on this one; the man is worth your time."