Ernie Watts (Saxophone). The two-time Grammy Award winner has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa. He started playing saxophone at age 13 and won a scholarship to the Wilmington Music School in Delaware, where he studied classical music. Soon after, he won a DownBeat scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. From Berklee he joined Buddy Rich’s Big Band, before moving to Los Angeles. His signature sound was soon heard on countless TV shows and movie scores and with pop stars such as Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan. In 1983, he began performing with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra and became a charter member in Haden’s critically acclaimed Quartet West. With 26 albums as a leader, he has generated an impressive artistic legacy on the world’s major stages. A respected educator, Watts also conducts university master classes and performs orchestral programs with symphonies internationally. In addition to his two Grammys, he was awarded the prestigious Frankfurt Music Prize for lifetime achievement in performance and composition.