Saturday, November 3, 2012

Bobby Watson, Musician





































Bobby Watson is a saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator. He attended the University of Miami along with fellow students Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and Bruce Hornsby. After graduating, he moved to New York City and joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

Bobby has worked with a multitude of notable musicians, including drummers Max Roach and Louis Hayes, fellow saxophonists George Coleman and Branford Marsalis, multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. In addition to working with instrumentalists, Watson has served in a supporting role for a number of distinguished vocalists including Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Lou Rawls, Betty Carter, and Carmen Lundy, and has performed as a sideman with Carlos Santana, George Coleman, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Bob Belden and John Hicks.

Bobby also composed an original song for the soundtrack of Robert De Niro's A Bronx Tale (1993).

A resident of New York for most of his professional life, he still performs live engagements around the world and leaves time for teaching. Watson is currently involved with the Thelonious Monk Institute's yearly "Jazz in America" high school outreach program.


Addendum: Bobby Watson was presented the prestigious Benny Golson Jazz Master Award at Howard University in Washington, D.C., March 7, 2013. He was honored for his excellence in jazz.


Photograph copyright 2012 Larry F. Levenson. 

All rights reserved.

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