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Charlie Watkins
Most of Charlie’s output is via his own groups, ranging from trio to sextet. At the heart of his musical concept is a passion for removing the traditional stigma around jazz clarinet, and helping it make a return to contemporary jazz. He is strongly influenced by other modern jazz clarinettists, especially drawing on the styles of Anat Cohen, Wacław Zimpel and Don Byron, all of whom have helped him develop an original voice of his own. His compositional style draws deeply from the post-bop and spiritual jazz music of the 60s and 70s, and is always looking to create a platform for improvisation within the whole band context.