Brothers
'Til the End of Time

Sibling rivalry means nothing to the Watters boys. Sharing a passion for jazz, Ken & Harry have made music together since early childhood.

Harry, left, plays a Yamaha YSL-695 trombone and his brother Ken plays a Yamaha YTR-6335HII trumpet.

Harry Watters remembers being impressed by kid brother Ken's natural musical ability early on. "From the first time I heard him pick up a trumpet, I was astounded by my brother's talent," says the elder Watters. "I remember waking up one morning and hearing someone playing 'When the Saints Go Marching In' and thinking whoever was playing sounded pretty good. It was my brother's first day holding the horn. I was astounded. He has been on this upward climb ever since, and I'm just so thrilled to have him as my brother."

Ken expresses similar feelings about his brother Harry. "He was my musical mentor," says Ken. "He got me into jazz and he was a great big brother to have. And we still have the big brother/little brother relationship."

Their close friendship, built on mutual respect and admiration, translates into a unique musical connection. "The most interesting thing is that we've always been able to read each other's minds musically," says Ken. "There is a certain chem-istry there that only siblings or family can have. I've never found that anywhere else. We think the same way about melodies and everything. It's a ball." Harry agrees. "I may not see Ken for weeks, and then we pick up our horns, play together, and it's just like I played with him yesterday. There is nothing like playing with family." Lately playing together has been a bit of a challenge.

Even though they've grown up, the two work hard to maintain their close ties even while living in different parts of the country. "We haven't lived in the same town since high school," says Ken. Back then, they shared the stage at many performances at Grisham High School in Alabama, where their parents often sat in the front row to cheer them on. Little did anyone know that the brothers would make a career out of their musical abilities and would share stages worldwide.

The Watters brothers are both Summit recording artists whose CDs spent at least eight weeks on the Top 50 Mainstream Jazz Charts.

Ken, 38, studied trumpet with Wynton Marsalis and received degrees from the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Manhattan School of Music. He has performed with jazz greats Frank Sinatra, Herbie Mann, Marc Anthony, Kenny Wheeler, and the Mingus Big Band. Harry, the elder brother by two years, received a more traditional training on the trombone at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Harry played with the Dukes of Dixieland and earned his masters degree at the University of New Orleans. Harry also plays with the United States Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and as a soloist with numerous orchestras and symphonies.

Harry and Ken both chose to play Yamaha instruments while they were working as full-time musicians for Walt Disney World. Yamaha supplied all of the brass players at Disney with horns. "We both fell in love with the tonal freedom they allowed us, from very dark to as bright as we needed to be," says Ken, "and we found that the Yamaha instruments record extremely well, which is something that both Harry and I do a lot of. The very first flugelhorn that I tried and loved was a Yamaha as well. From then on, that was the only brand of flugel I played. I have tried out others in between, but nothing compares to a Yamaha."

As close friends and talented musicians, the duo has already recorded two jazz CDs. "Brothers" and "Brothers II" are a blend of original music and standard tunes. "The style on each Brothers CD is similar," says Ken. "It is modern, listenable acoustic jazz. But every now and again we go out on a limb and do something really out to lunch and very progressive." The style of "Brothers III," to be released in spring 2003, will be similar to the previous CDs. However, Ken enthusiastically promises, "There will be a few surprises."

Fans can also look forward to hearing more original songs composed by Ken on "Brothers III." "We would like to do more originals," says Harry of his brother's compositions. "Ken is the creative side of this duo. His writing is extraordinary and I'm constantly amazed at the high level of his harmonic and melodic insight."

Although the brothers draw on their unique friendship, Ken and Harry also rely upon their family for inspiration and support. Their parents met on a bandstand-their father was a drummer and their mother was a band director and played French horn and piano. But it was their grandfather who really honed their musical skills. Frank Humphrey was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist during the swing era. Their grandfather performed seven nights a week for as little as $4 a night because of his love of jazz. "He was just a great, naturally gifted musician," says Ken. "He did it for the love of it. He had a lot of discipline as far as practice. He used to be on my back about practicing all the time when I was young and just starting on trumpet." Their grandfather was able to play any tune by ear and was an excellent role model for the up-and-coming musicians. "Harry and I got our ears as well as our sense of discipline from our grandfather," says Ken.

The brothers incorporate the lessons their grandfather taught them in the clinics they teach. Harry concentrates on practice discipline in his clinic titled "The Effective Use of Practice Time." Presented at universities, colleges, and high schools, the clinic provides valuable tips on how to budget time, as well as techniques for effective practice sessions.

Harry finds teaching rewarding because "even if my students don't become professional musicians, they can still use the organizational techniques from 'The Effective Use of Practice Time' in any discipline. This is extraordinarily useful because becoming a musician fulfills several sets of values: how to delay self-gratification, patience, self-discipline, and teamwork." Harry feels that universities should focus more on these aspects of music, and not on the importance of becoming famous and getting more money. Ken teaches his students the importance of professionalism in the jazz world through his own clinic. Entitled "Jazz Musician's Protocol," the clinic was created out of his frustrations with playing gigs that weren't run professionally. "This is something that they don't normally offer in schools," says Ken.

The brothers are thankful music has given them the opportunity to continue to both work and play together. "Playing music is a very life-enriching experience," says Harry. "We are all blessed to be associated with music. It really opens up so much of a person's life."