Nathan Watts!!!!

[lucas vigor]

So, I bought a mid-70's disco album by Sergio Mendes, "Magic lady". The reviews I read all panned it, saying it was disco-lite and not very substantial..

Well, I can't take it out of my CD player in my car!

The songs are mostly by Mendes with help from Michael Sembello, which give it that whole "chips" "love boat" "charlie's angels"vibe,. The horn section is Tower of Power, and the bass player is Nathan Watts, who is just incredible! The bass lines he wrote for this album are just killing! I can't get them out of my head. I know this guy was or is with Stevie Wonder, and is known for being a session player, but there is nothing standard or bland about his playing. This is playing as inventive as Chuck Rainey or Bernard Edwards..hammer ons, not too much popping and slapping (only in the right places) and the only real nod to typical 70's style is the use of octaves.

I strongly advise anyone into really groove filled basslines to check this album out!

[jerry]

Awesome player with one of my favorite vibratos! I have a couple shelfs full of albums that critics hated.....but the bass is smokin'.

[Lorenzini]

I'll check that out.
Sounds like a killer album! ToP horn section just kills.

[markjazzbassist]

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

I'll check that out.
Sounds like a killer album! ToP horn section just kills.

+1

for real i gotta check that out. i love nathan watts.

[lucas vigor]

The album I have is actually a double album, and the other CD is a more mellow album from roughly the same time period, the bass player on all those tracks is Chuck Rainey, but ironically, there are several Stevie Wonder covers on it!

I did not like that album as much, but starting at track 11 the disco fun begins! I use to hate-hate-hate disco when I was living in that time period, but now, much older, I can appreciate when an artist like Sergio Mendes tackles it.

I could compare this album to the Crusaders "streetlife". Same level of funk+ great musicianship!

[Jules Forcella]

Nathan Watts joined Stevie's Band when he was just playing the Bass for 2 Years...(!!!!!) - and then he learned from Stevie..... what could be better.....

Jules