Noble “Thin Man” Watts

The 1950s R&B scene was rife with fire-breathing tenor sax honkers. Noble “Thin Man” W was perhaps one of the most incendiary. W enrolled at Florida A&M College or university in 1942 (his mates in the institution marching music group included potential jazz luminaries Nat and Cannonball Adderly). The Griffin Brothers, among Dot Information’ best R&B functions (obviously, this is before the times when Randy Wood’s label offered secure haven for the hopelessly pale loves of Pat Boone and Gale Surprise) hired youthful Noble W after he got from college. W became a member of baritone saxist Paul “Hucklebuck” Williams in 1952, documenting with him for Jax and acquiring sax solos behind Dinah Washington, Amos Milburn, and Ruth Dark brown around the groundbreaking middle-’50s TV system Showtime in the Apollo (Williams led the home music group for the Willie Bryant-hosted extravaganza). Later on, there is a stint with Lionel Hampton. W’ personal discography commenced in 1954 with a very tasty coupling for DeLuxe (“Mashing Potatoes”/”Pig Ears and Grain”). A 1956 solitary for Vee-Jay with Williams’ music group (“South Shoreline Drive”) arrived before W’ salad times on the brand new York-based Baton label. Along with his music group the Rhythm Sparks in support, W wailed “LAID BACK,” “Blast Off,” “Shakin’,” “Flap Jack port,” and a number of even more searing instrumentals for Baton from 1957 to 1959, the largest of all becoming “CRISIS (The Slop),” which propelled the saxist onto the pop graphs in Dec of 1957. Acoustic guitar twanger Duane Eddy will need to have dug what he noticed: he protected the milling shuffle for Jamie a couple of years later on. That wasn’t Noble W’ only link with rock & move. He performed behind Jerry Lee Lewis, Friend Holly, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, and so many more on various past due-’50s package trips. Boxer Sugars Ray Robinson handled W during the past due ’50s and early ’60s, recruiting the saxist to business lead the house music group in the pugilist’s Harlem lounge. Points got slim for the Thin Guy through the ’60s (45s for Sir, Cub, Enjoy, Peanut, Jell, Clamike, and Brunswick arrived and proceeded to go without much see) and ’70s, but he installed a comeback bet in 1987 with a brand new album, Return from the Thin Guy, for Bob Greenlee’s Kingsnake logo design (later found by Alligator). Ruler from the Boogie Sax adopted in 1993 for Ichiban’s Crazy Dog imprint. W continues to are a program saxist for Greenlee when he’s not really pursuing his personal interests.