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About Bobby Watson

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Musician

Bobby Watson

Born:

A saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator, Bobby Watson grew up in Kansas City, Kan. He trained formally at the University of Miami, a school with a distinguished and well-respected jazz program. After graduating, he proceeded to earn his "doctorate" – on the bandstand – as musical director of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The group, created in 1955 by late legendary drummer who died in 1990, showcased a rotating cast of players, many who, like Watson, would go on to have substantial careers as bandleaders in their own right. The Jazz Messengers – frequently referred to as the "University of Blakey" – served as the ultimate "postgraduate school" for ambitious young players. After completing a four-year-plus Jazz Messengers tenure (1977-1981) that incorporated more than a dozen recordings – the most of any of the great Jazz Messengers, the gifted Watson became a much-sought after musician, working along the way with a potpourri of notable artists – peers, elder statesmen and colleagues all — including, but not limited to: drummers Max Roach and Louis Hayes, fellow saxophonists George Coleman and a younger Branford Marsalis, celebrated multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis (who joined the Jazz Messengers at least in part at the suggestion of Watson)

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Article: Album Review

Mike DiRubbo: Way Out Northwest

Read "Way Out Northwest" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Alto saxophonist and composer Mike DiRubbo, an acclaimed artist on the New York City jazz scene for more than three decades, traveled all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia, in October 2025 to record Way Out Northwest with a hand-picked all-Canadian rhythm section: pianist Tilden Webb, bassist Jodi Proznick and drummer Jesse Cahill. The ...

6

Article: Album Review

Civil Disobedience: Blue Note In The Progressive Sixties

Read "Blue Note In The Progressive Sixties" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Bassist and educator David Ambrosio's quintet Civil Disobedience: Blue Note in the Progressive Sixties is both a tribute and a reclamation, a love letter to the music, the musicians and the social movements that shaped a turbulent era. The project was sparked by a student, which led Ambrosio to revisit a body of Blue Note recordings ...

1

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Classic jazz from Ted Curson, Johnny Griffin, and others along with currents from Corcoran Holt, Louis Stewart, and more

Read "Classic jazz from Ted Curson, Johnny Griffin, and others along with currents from Corcoran Holt, Louis Stewart, and more" reviewed by David W. Daniels


Classic jazz music from the headliners and also Etta Jones, Oscar Peterson, Leon Thomas, and others. Re-released music from Bobby Watson and Cecil McBee, as well as pre-released music from Louis Stewart. Birthday recognition for Gabor Szabo, Billy Childs, Mino Cinelu, and more.Playlist Tommy Smith leads Youth Jazz Orchestra with Joe Locke “A Night ...

3

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Musical Tribute To Martin Luther King Jr. Including Nina Simone, Mingus Big Band, and Others

Read "Musical Tribute To Martin Luther King Jr. Including Nina Simone, Mingus Big Band, and Others" reviewed by David W. Daniels


A musical tribute to the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with his words interspersed. Music from Nina Simone, Christian McBride, Jack DeJohnette, Terri Lyne Carrington with Christie Dashiel, and others about Dr. King and his call for freedom and justice. Playlist Nina Simone “Why? (The King Of Love Is ...

23

Article: Interview

John Hadfield: An Open Concept

Read "John Hadfield: An Open Concept" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


John Hadfield's sound is instantly recognizable, due in part to his unique drum kit, which reflects the musics he has studied and with which he continues to engage. Hadfield's formal degrees are in jazz (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and Western classical music (University of Missouri, Kansas City), but he also studied frame drumming and world ...

2

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Bobby Watson, The Bad Plus, Carrie Jackson, Joe Elefante & Eddie Daniels

Read "Bobby Watson, The Bad Plus, Carrie Jackson, Joe Elefante & Eddie Daniels" reviewed by Joe Dimino


We kick off the 929th episode of Neon Jazz with none other than the legendary Eddie Daniels, paying tribute to a Brazilian icon on his 2025 album To Milton with Love--opening with the gorgeous tune “Catavento." From there, we revisit the brilliance of Kansas City's own Bobby Watson with a re-release of his classic album Perpetual ...

7

Article: The Jazz Life

A Farewell to Madrid's Café Central

Read "A Farewell to Madrid's Café Central" reviewed by Artur Moral


It happened to Chicago with The London House and The Velvet Lounge; it happened to San Francisco with the Black Hawk Club and the Keystone Corner; and, of course, it happened to New York City with Cafe Society, Sweet Basil, Village Gate and Jazz Standard. It has also happened in many other places and cities around ...

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Article: Album Review

Miguel Zenón Quartet: Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard

Read "Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard" reviewed by Mark Corroto


The perfect sports analogy for saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón might just be baseball legend Roberto Clemente. Both were born in Puerto Rico, and both are revered as masters of their respective crafts. Clemente was a perennial All-Star, a World Series MVP, a Gold Glove winner and a National League batting champion. Zenón, for his part, ...

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News: Festival

Inaugural Germantown Jazz Festival to Debut April 25–27, 2025

Inaugural Germantown Jazz Festival to Debut April 25–27, 2025

Jazz lovers, mark your calendars! The Germantown Jazz Festival (GJF) is set to make its highly anticipated debut from April 25–27, 2025. In partnership with its lead community partner, Artcinia, the GJF will bring a dynamic three-day celebration of music, art, and culture to the heart of Philadelphia. Festival Lineup Opening Night Concert- Friday, April 25, ...


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