Reggie Watkins · Trombone

Matt Parker · Saxophones

Orrin Evans · Piano

Matt Dwonszyk · Bass

Byron Landham · Drums

Reggie Watkins is one of the most compelling trombonists working in jazz today — a musician whose playing Hot House Magazine describes as marked by “originality and creativity avoiding clichés and predictable phrases in an entirely distinctive trombone style.” Rooted in the Pittsburgh jazz tradition that gave the world Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn, and Ahmad Jamal, Watkins has spent over two decades pushing jazz forward on his own terms.

His résumé spans the full range of the music. He served as trombonist and musical director for Maynard Ferguson for six years, has been a longtime member of the Grammy-nominated Orrin Evans Captain Black Big Band, and has shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, and Trombone Shorty, among many others. His most recent album, Rivers (2025), recorded with a Pittsburgh-based quartet, draws on his deep roots in the Steel City while pushing confidently toward the future.

At The Side Door, Watkins brings a hand-picked quintet featuring some of the finest players on the scene today — including pianist Orrin Evans, a longtime collaborator and one of the most creative voices in contemporary jazz.

The Side Door Jazz Club is a dedicated jazz listening room located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. Tickets are reserved seating. Guests dining at the Old Lyme Inn restaurant prior to the show receive 10% off their dinner bill.