Anthology

Product Information

In the July 2006 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, Watts was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. Initially, the band could not afford to pay Watts, who had been earning a regular salary from his gigs. The collection is both the perfect memento of a unique artist for long-time devotees and the perfect introduction for new admirers. It then features selections from the Charlie Watts Quintet’s 1991 mini-album From One Charlie, their albums A Tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings (1992), Warm and Tender (1993) and Long Ago and Far Away (1996), the 2000 collaboration Charlie Watts – Jim Keltner Project and another live set, 2004’s Watts at Scott’s, recorded in 2001 as the Charlie Watts Tentet.

Charlie WATTS - Anthology Vinyl at Juno Records. Charlie WATTS - Anthology Vinyl at Juno Records.

It’s represented by two tracks here – the heavily synthesised digi-funk of “Roy Haynes” and the dreamy Brazilian samba “Airto”, featuring the multi-tracked voices and keyboards of Emmanuel Sourdeix and Philippe Chauveau. Available both in double vinyl and double CD editions, Anthology is a monument to the “other” musical identity of the giant who underpinned the Rolling Stones for more than 55 years. My thoughts are with his family and all the Rolling Stones at this difficult time" (Tweet) – via Twitter.While the Stones could be experimental, this kind of amalgamation would be unthinkable, but jazz was the perfect vehicle for Charlie to display his broad palette. The names of Charlie's jazz heroes fell from his lips like a superfan turning the pages of a personal scrapbook. was a year of great turmoil in the Stones camp and Watts, ever the stoic, found solace in his beloved jazz and formed the Charlie Watts Orchestra. They were buggering about, writing songs, and when I was ready I went down and that was it, A Bigger Bang. The four-LP and two-CD editions feature an extended essay from music journalist Paul Sexton, which traces Watts’ jazz career and the albums from which these songs are taken.

CD review: Charlie Watts - Anthology - 2023: Video, CD cover

Moreover, with Jagger, he designed the elaborate stages for tours, first contributing to the lotus-shaped design of the Tour of the Americas, as well as the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, the Bridges to Babylon Tour, the Licks Tour, and the A Bigger Bang Tour. In 1989, Watts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones, and in 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, also with the Rolling Stones. The collection pulls recordings from several jazz albums Watts recorded beginning in 1986, including Live at Fulham Town Hall (1986), From One Charlie (1991), A Tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings (1992), Warm and Tender (1993), Long Ago and Far Away (1996), Charlie Watts – Jim Keltner Project (2000), and Watts at Scott’s (2004).

It draws on a near 20-year period in his substantial catalog of jazz recordings in various configurations, including quartet, quintet, tentet, and orchestra. Charlie Watts' estate launches social media accounts; Rolling Stones remember late drummer on his birthday". To commemorate what would have been his 82nd birthday, Watts' estate launched official Facebook and Instagram accounts on 2 June 2023, saying in a statement that "Charlie was too modest to embrace social media in his lifetime" and encouraging fans to "celebrate his huge musical contribution to the world of rock 'n' roll, blues and jazz, and the wonderful man known and loved to the millions of fans around the world". It’s a fascinating session – a waystation between the rock’n’roll of his day job and the big-band swing that Watts loved.

Charlie Watts - Wikipedia Charlie Watts - Wikipedia

Legend has it that The Rolling Stones knew they needed Charlie Watts if they wanted to make it to the next level in their local scene, they just couldn’t afford him. It is hard to imagine that a core member of one of the biggest – and among the longest running – bands in the world had a series of side projects that remained largely overlooked. Adam Hay-Nicholls, "The Rolling Stones did get satisfaction from collecting cars", GQ, 29 August 2020. Watts himself was a master of the sublime and the quiet nature of his jazz career may have very well been what appealed most to making these records, next to the music, of course.In mid-1962, Watts first met Brian Jones, Ian "Stu" Stewart, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who also frequented the London rhythm and blues clubs, but it was not until January 1963 that Watts finally agreed to join the Rolling Stones. After completing secondary school, Watts enrolled at Harrow Art School (now the Harrow campus of the University of Westminster), which he attended until 1960. He knew every player, every session, every album, every outfit they wore on the cover, and he spoke about them with a deep and genuine reverence.