I Played Jazz With Charlie Watts For 20 Years. Here's What I Learned

Musician Tim Ries has been a touring member of The Rolling Stones since 1999, playing woodwinds and keys. But he also enjoyed a special relationship with drummer Charlie Watts, as their shared love of jazz bloomed into a series of collaborations. Watts died Aug. 24 at age 80; below is Ries' remembrance of a few exceptional moments from their two-decade friendship.

On my first tour with The Rolling Stones, I remember looking over at Charlie Watts during "" My keyboard was set up close to his drum kit, facing him, almost how it would be if we were on a small club stage instead of in an arena. I'd been hired in January 1999 as part of the band's incredible extended ensemble: playing saxophone in the horn section along with Bobby Keys, trumpeter Kent Smith, playing a mallet part behind John Coltrane.