Bobby Watson

BOBBY WATSON sits among the pantheon of present-day jazz greats. Born in Lawrence, Kan., his career now spans more than four decades. A multi-GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer, Watson trained formally at the University of Miami and then, from 1977-1981, earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, the saxophonist contributed to 14 Jazz Messengers recordings — more than anyone else in the group’s 35-year (1955-1990) storied history.

Early on, in addition to Blakey, the saxophonist also worked with notable jazz icons and elder statesmen such as Max Roach, Louis Hayes, George Coleman and Sam Rivers, as well as sharing music experiences with innumerable noteworthy peers and colleagues as well as legendary vocalists such as Joe Williams, Lou Rawls, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves and Carmen Lundy.

An association with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Victor Lewis led Watson to launch the first iteration of Horizon, the highly acclaimed acoustic quintet, modeled in many ways after the Jazz Messengers, but produced with its own distinct and more modern twist. Horizon, now considered one of the preeminent small groups of the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, released several now-classic titles for the Blue Note and Columbia record labels.

Virtually simultaneously, Watson also issued several other titles such as Love Remains (Red), the saxophonist’s now-classic 1986 release. The recording, recognized by the Penguin Guide to Jazz (Penguin; 7 th Ed.), received the publication’s highest rating, cited in the edition as a part of its “core collection” joining other entries as a title any jazz aficionado should own. Year of the Rabbit, a musical tribute to Johnny Hodges, followed in 1989; Tailor Made, the Watson-led GRAMMY®-nominated all-star big band in 1993; he also released multiple titles by the four-horn 29th Street Saxophone Quartet and composed music for the Robert De Niro-directed film, A Bronx Tale (1993).

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