E.T.A. – Robert Watson
One of Bobby Watson’s best-known compositions. Based on the changes of John Coltrane’s Lazy Bird, this song was originally recorded with a sextet arrangement by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Bobby has also recorded it several times in a quartet setting; melody transcriptions of two quartet versions are available.
- Recording: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Reflections In Blue
- Recorded on: December 4, 1978
- Label: Timeless (SJP 128)
- Concert Key: G
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Valery Ponomarev
- Alto Sax - Bobby Watson
- Tenor Sax - David Schnitter
- Piano - James Williams
- Bass - Dennis Irwin
- Drums - Art Blakey
Video
- Art Blakey's 70th Birthday Messengers live at Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival 1989 - Bobby Watson (as), Terence Blanchard (tpt), Robin Eubanks (tb), Mulgrew Miller (p), Cameron Brown (b), Art Blakey (d).
A Bobby Watson classic! E.T.A. is a contrafact on the changes of John Coltrane’s Lazy Bird, with a melody just as elegant as the latter song though taken in a different direction. The rhythm section hits in the A section and dynamic contrast in the bridge place this uptempo “burner” firmly in the iconic Blakey style. This song has no intro, but there is a coda based on a shortened version of the ending of Lazy Bird.
Our lead sheet is the basic melody, as first recorded by the Jazz Messengers. Bobby also always had fun playing E.T.A. in a quartet format, changing around a few melody notes and rhythms. Click on the other two album covers for quartet versions, with Melody Transcriptions.
Our lead sheet is the basic melody, as first recorded by the Jazz Messengers. Bobby also always had fun playing E.T.A. in a quartet format, changing around a few melody notes and rhythms. Click on the other two album covers for quartet versions, with Melody Transcriptions.
This Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers version on the "Reflections In Blue" album is the first recording of E.T.A. A live broadcast version of this song with the same lineup was also released, recorded ten days later on December 14, 1978. Two more Jazz Messengers recordings, both live, feature a different personnel with Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Billy Pierce on tenor sax, and Charles Fambrough on bass joining Blakey, Bobby Watson and pianist James Williams. The first, from Bubba’s in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in October 1980, was released under Wynton Marsalis’ name. By June 1981 when the Messengers recorded the Concord album “Straight Ahead” at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco, Bobby had added a wild new shout chorus to the arrangement of E.T.A. This song found new life after Bobby’s Messengers years with quartet recordings later in the ‘80s; click on the other two album covers for some of these.
The full sextet arrangement, including the shout chorus from the “Straight Ahead” album, is available from music distributors.
The full sextet arrangement, including the shout chorus from the “Straight Ahead” album, is available from music distributors.
- Recording: Bobby Watson - Beatitudes
- Recorded on: April 11, 1983
- Label: New Note (KM 11876)
- Concert Key: G
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Alto Sax - Bobby Watson
- Piano - Mulgrew Miller
- Bass - Curtis Lundy
- Drums - Kenny Washington
In quartet settings without having to phrase together with other horns, Bobby Watson likes to experiment a bit with his own melodies. His quartet recordings of E.T.A. are great examples of his playful style of melodic interpretation. Our Melody Transcriptions show both the in and out heads, with detailed articulations.
This blazing-tempo recording—as fast as some of the live Blakey versions if not faster—starts right on the head. Bobby plays a variation of the original melody throughout the in head, in which the last note of the A and C sections is F♯ rather than A. He also leaves out the quarter note G on the downbeat of the sixth measure in these sections. On the out head he plays the melody closer to how it’s written in the lead sheet.
This blazing-tempo recording—as fast as some of the live Blakey versions if not faster—starts right on the head. Bobby plays a variation of the original melody throughout the in head, in which the last note of the A and C sections is F♯ rather than A. He also leaves out the quarter note G on the downbeat of the sixth measure in these sections. On the out head he plays the melody closer to how it’s written in the lead sheet.
For more from this "Beatitudes" album, check out Karita and On The One. This session was Bobby Watson’s first recording with drummer Kenny Washington. Bobby and Kenny played together on the first "Superblue" album in 1988, again with Mulgrew Miller on piano; a few days after that session, Kenny played on some of Bobby’s album “No Question About It.”
- Recording: Bobby Watson - Advance
- Recorded on: August 8, 1984
- Label: Enja (4082)
- Concert Key: G
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Alto Sax - Bobby Watson
- Piano - Jim McNeely
- Bass - Todd Coolman
- Drums - Adam Nussbaum
Video
- E.T.A. performed by Bobby Watson & Libor Smoldas Quartet @ Jihocesky jazzovy festival. Bobby Watson - alto sax; Libor Smoldas - guitar; Petr Benes - piano; Tomas Baros - bass; Jesse Simpson - drums. Jihocesky jazzovy festival, August 6, 2022, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Another Melody Transcription is available for this second quartet recording. Here Bobby alternates between the A section as originally written and the same variation he uses on the “Beatitudes” recording; the fourth measure is also often slightly different. There is also a bit of dynamic contrast in the bridge as in the original Jazz Messengers arrangement.
"Advance" was recorded at the 2nd International Jazz Workshop in Tübingen, Germany. The Enja album “In Concert” by an all-star quintet including Art Farmer and Slide Hampton was also recorded at this event.
Another live version of E.T.A. was recorded in Tokyo in 1988, by Bobby with pianist Takao Nagai’s trio . In this version Bobby plays around with the melody even more, showcasing his rapid-fire double tonguing that he also uses in fills over the final chord in both the “Beatitudes” and “Advance” recordings (though not shown in our melody transcriptions).
Another live version of E.T.A. was recorded in Tokyo in 1988, by Bobby with pianist Takao Nagai’s trio . In this version Bobby plays around with the melody even more, showcasing his rapid-fire double tonguing that he also uses in fills over the final chord in both the “Beatitudes” and “Advance” recordings (though not shown in our melody transcriptions).
Robert Watson
born on August 23, 1953
Robert "Bobby" Watson, who was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, grew up to become a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and education of formidable talent and acclaim. He got his degree from the University of Miami before becoming a member (and later the musical director) of legendary drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He remained an invaluable member for four years, from 1977 until 1981. Read more...