In his liner notes to Trevor Watts the Celebration Band, music reviewer John Wickes writes that some have described Watts' music as minimalist, although the British saxophonist had not even heard Steve Reich and other practitioners of that style when the minimalist comparisons started to be made. It's easy to understand why Watts might grimace at being called a minimalist, while on the other hand -- particularly after hearing his 2001 CD with the Celebration Band -- it's also easy to grasp why at least some of his music might be tagged with that stylistic description. On the anti-minimalist side of the debate, Watts and his young bandmembers from the Hastings, England area perform music that is far more joyous than the mechanistic repetitions of minimalism's founders. On the other hand, there certainly is common ground in the unfolding polyrhythmic complexity, counterpoint layering of melodic instruments, and precision with which the pieces fit together to form an intricate musical puzzle. This is actually a well-balanced hybrid, but anyone hearing the CD might be too busy dancing around like crazy to waste time musing about genre distinctions anyway. Of course, Watts has spent about 20 years melding jazz and world music in the various incarnations of his Moiré Music ensembles. A strong thread in the Moiré weave is Watts' particular love of African musics, also a taproot for Reich and the minimalists. With Trevor Watts the Celebration Band, the African connection is strong and sustained -- one hears echoes from Nigerian juju and the gnawa rhythms of Morocco, as bright harmonies and melodies are punched out by the four-saxophone front line over a foundation of complex polyrhythms played on percussion instruments including djarabouka, djembe, and Moroccan tabla in addition to drum kit.

1		8 in 7
2		Alone With You
3		Tar (Ta)
4		Spring Sunrise
5		In the Street
6		Out of the Street

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