It's been almost four weeks since the beloved drummer passed away. Never a showy musician, Charlie Watts was nonetheless an incredible drummer as evidenced by the numbers in this playlist.
Listen to the subtle way he uses the brushes on the opening track, or how he pummels his traps on More Sympathy for the Drummer. The swing he brings on 19th Nervous Breakdown is what people mean when they refer to him as a jazz drummer in a rock band: listen to the way he uses the ride cymbal. And the high hat work on Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane's My Baby Gives It Away is a delight.
Because he was always playing for the song, it's easy to forget what a formidable drummer he was. He played like he dressed: stylish and impeccable yet unostentatious. But behind that musical restraint was the driving force, the backbone of the world's greatest rock and roll band. If Satisfaction makes you want to tap your feet, if Miss You males you want to dance, it's in great part thanks to him.
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