Ernie Watts’ latest, “FOUR plus FOUR” (FD 1007), is a collection of new Watts material that features both his U.S. and European quartets. Through joining his varied musical partners into a single vision, Watts inspires his friends to meld performances that firmly adhere to the artist’s musical story. “Those classic Coltrane quartet recordings are at the heart of my writing and a source of energy I draw from on stage,” says Watts. “This particular project gave me the opportunity to document my longtime Los Angeles quartet alongside my group in Germany, my parallel universe.” Duties are split: each quartet has three tracks and one tune is shared by both. The Cologne sessions start with Watts’ rhythmic “Tributary” and the second track (by pianist Christof Saenger), the impressionistic “Crossings.” The players then follow Watts into his introspective waltz “A Quiet Corner” and move to Watts’ travelogue “Through My Window,” with his distinctive tenor as the link. On this track both quartets contribute from their respective homelands. The melody segues seamlessly from one session recorded nine months prior in Germany into a solid conclusion recorded at another time and another place with Watts’ Los Angeles group, which also improvises over the European quartet in the center of the piece. The LA musicians round out the CD with two more originals, “Wings of the Dreamer” and the dynamic “Find The Way,” plus a moving interpretation of the only cover, “The Ballad of The Sad Young Men.”