Doug Watkins
Doug Watkins | |
---|---|
Doug Watkins [date unknown] | |
Background information | |
Born | (1934-03-02)March 2, 1934 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
Died | February 5, 1962(1962-02-05) (aged 27) near Holbrook, Arizona |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Double bass, cello |
Years active | 1950–1962 |
Labels | Blue Note, Prestige, Atlantic |
Douglas Watkins (March 2, 1934 – February 5, 1962) was an American jazz double bassist.[1] He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.[2]
Biography
Watkins was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States.[1] An original member of the Jazz Messengers, he later played in Horace Silver's quintet[3] and freelanced with Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley,[3] Lee Morgan, Sonny Rollins, and Phil Woods among others.[4]
Some of Watkins' best-known work can be heard, when as a 22-year-old, he appeared on the 1956 album Saxophone Colossus by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, with Max Roach and Tommy Flanagan.[1]
According to Horace Silver's autobiography, Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty, Watkins, along with Silver, later left Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers because the other members of the band at the time (Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley and Blakey) had serious drug problems, whereas Watkins and Silver were tired of being harassed and searched by the police every time they went to a gig in a new city and club.[5]
When Charles Mingus briefly ventured over to the piano stool in 1961, he hired Watkins to take over the bass part; Oh Yeah and Tonight at Noon were the results.[1]
Watkins recorded only two albums as leader: Watkins at Large for Transition; and Soulnik for New Jazz.[4] The latter, recorded in 1960, with Yusef Lateef, features Watkins on cello with Herman Wright backing him on bass.[6] The cello was an instrument he had started to play only a few days before the recording session.[6]
Watkins died in an automobile accident near Holbrook, Arizona, on February 5, 1962,[7] while traveling from Arizona to San Francisco to meet drummer Philly Joe Jones for a gig.[1]
Discography
As leader
- 1956: Watkins at Large (Transition)
- 1960: Soulnik (New Jazz)
As sideman
With Pepper Adams
- Baritones and French Horns (Prestige, 1957)
- Critic's Choice (World Pacific, 1957)
- The Pepper-Knepper Quintet (MetroJazz, 1958) with Jimmy Knepper
- 10 to 4 at the 5 Spot (Riverside, 1958)
With Gene Ammons
- Jammin' with Gene (Prestige, 1956)
- Funky (Prestige, 1957)
- Blue Gene (Prestige, 1958)
- Boss Tenor (Prestige, 1960)
- Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1960 [1964])
- Angel Eyes (Prestige, 1960 [1965])
- Nice an' Cool (Moodsville, 1961)
- Jug (Prestige, 1961)
With Art Blakey
- At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 (Blue Note, 1955)
- At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 (Blue Note, 1955)
- Originally (Columbia, 1956 [1982])
With Tina Brooks
- Minor Move (Blue Note, 1958)
With Kenny Burrell
- All Night Long (Prestige, 1956)
- All Day Long (Prestige, 1957)
- Kenny Burrell (Prestige, 1957)
- K. B. Blues (Blue Note, 1957 [1979])
- 2 Guitars - with Jimmy Raney (Prestige, 1957)
With Donald Byrd
- Byrd's Eye View (Transition, 1955)
- Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill (Transition, 1956)
- 2 Trumpets (Prestige, 1956) - with Art Farmer
- Jazz Eyes (Regent, 1957) - with John Jenkins
- Byrd in Paris (Brunswick, 1958)
- Parisian Thoroughfare (Brunswick, 1958)
- Fuego (Blue Note, 1959)
- Byrd in Flight (Blue Note, 1960)
- Chant (Blue Note, 1961)
With John Coltrane
- Dakar (Prestige, 1957 [1963])
With Tommy Flanagan
- The Cats (Prestige, 1957)
With Curtis Fuller
- New Trombone (Prestige, 1957)
With Red Garland
- Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio (Swingville, 1959)
- Satin Doll (Prestige, 1959 [1971])
- Rediscovered Masters (Prestige, 1959 [1977])
With Benny Golson
- Gettin' with It (New Jazz, 1959)
With Bill Hardman
- Saying Something (Savoy 1961)
With Wilbur Harden
- Mainstream 1958 (Savoy, 1958)
With Thad Jones
- Mad Thad (Period, 1957)
- Olio (Prestige, 1957)
With Yusef Lateef
- Jazz for the Thinker (Savoy, 1957)
- Jazz Mood (Savoy, 1957)
With Jackie McLean
- Presenting... Jackie McLean (Ad Lib, 1955)
- Lights Out! (Prestige, 1956)
- 4, 5 and 6 (Prestige, 1956)
- Jackie McLean & Co. (Prestige, 1957)
- Alto Madness (Prestige, 1957) - with John Jenkins
- Bluesnik (Blue Note, 1961)
With Charles Mingus
- Oh Yeah (Atlantic, 1961)
- Tonight at Noon (Atlantic, 1961)
With Hank Mobley
- Hank Mobley Quartet (Blue Note, 1955)
- The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley (Savoy, 1956)
- Mobley's Message (Prestige, 1956)
- Mobley's 2nd Message (Prestige, 1956)
- Jazz Message No. 2 (Savoy, 1956)
- Hank Mobley and his All Stars (Blue Note, 1957)
- Hank Mobley Quintet (Blue Note, 1957)
With Lee Morgan
- Introducing Lee Morgan (Savoy, 1956)
- Candy (Blue Note, 1957)
With The Prestige All Stars
- Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige, 1957)
With Paul Quinichette
- On the Sunny Side (Prestige, 1957)
With Dizzy Reece
- Soundin' Off (Blue Note, 1960)
With Rita Reys
- The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (Columbia, 1956)
With Sonny Rollins
- Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1956)
- Newk's Time (Blue Note, 1957)
With Horace Silver
- Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (Blue Note, 1955)
- Silver's Blue (Columbia, 1956)
- 6 Pieces of Silver (Blue Note, 1956)
With Louis Smith
- Here Comes Louis Smith (Blue Note, 1957)
With Idrees Sulieman
- Roots (New Jazz, 1958) with the Prestige All Stars
With Billy Taylor
- Interlude (Moodsville, 1961)
With Phil Woods
- Pairing Off (Prestige, 1956)
References
- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 479. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- ^ "Doug Watkins | Artists". Bluenote.com. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
- ^ a b "Doug Watkins: The Hard Bop Homepage". Hardbop.tripod.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ a b Yanow, Scott. "Doug Watkins". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Silver, Horace (1 August 2007). Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520253926.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1470. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Rhyan, Dianna (2003). "Watkins, Doug(las)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- v
- t
- e
- Dale Barlow
- Mickey Bass
- Terence Blanchard
- Joanne Brackeen
- Cameron Brown
- Donald Brown
- Bobby Broom
- Donald Byrd
- George Cables
- Buck Clarke
- Chick Corea
- Steve Davis
- Spanky DeBrest
- Sam Dockery
- Kenny Dorham
- Essiet Essiet
- Robin Eubanks
- Charles Fambrough
- Curtis Fuller
- Carlos Garnett
- John Gilmore
- Benny Golson
- Benny Green
- Johnny Griffin
- Bill Hardman
- Donald Harrison
- Philip Harper
- John Hicks
- Freddie Hubbard
- Dennis Irwin
- Javon Jackson
- Carter Jefferson
- Geoffrey Keezer
- Frank Lacy
- Brian Lynch
- Branford Marsalis
- Wynton Marsalis
- Jackie McLean
- Jymie Merritt
- Mulgrew Miller
- Hank Mobley
- Lee Morgan
- Billy Pierce
- Lonnie Plaxico
- Valery Ponomarev
- Wallace Roney
- Gregory Charles Royal
- David Schnitter
- Woody Shaw
- Clarence Seay
- Wayne Shorter
- Horace Silver
- Victor Sproles
- Bobby Timmons
- Jean Toussaint
- McCoy Tyner
- Cedar Walton
- Peter Washington
- Doug Watkins
- Bobby Watson
- James Williams
- Reggie Workman
albums
- The Jazz Messengers (1956)
- Hard Bop (1957)
- Ritual (1957)
- Selections from Lerner and Loewe's... (1957)
- Cu-Bop (1957)
- Hard Drive (1957)
- A Night in Tunisia (1958)
- Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1958)
- Moanin' (1959)
- The Big Beat (1960)
- A Night in Tunisia (1961)
- Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (1961)
- Mosaic (1962)
- Buhaina's Delight (1963)
- Caravan (1963)
- The Freedom Rider (1964)
- Free for All (1964)
- Kyoto (1964)
- Golden Boy (1964)
- Indestructible (1965)
- 'S Make It (1965)
- Soul Finger (1965)
- Tough! (1966)
- Like Someone in Love (1967)
- The Witch Doctor (1969)
- Roots & Herbs (1970)
- Child's Dance (1972)
- Buhaina (1973)
- Anthenagin (1973)
- In Walked Sonny (1975)
- Backgammon (1976)
- Gypsy Folk Tales (1977)
- In My Prime Vol. 1 (1978)
- In My Prime Vol. 2 (1978)
- Reflections in Blue (1979)
- Night in Tunisia: Digital Recording (1979)
- Album of the Year (1981)
- Oh-By the Way (1984)
- Blue Night (1985)
- Feeling Good (1986)
- Not Yet (1988)
- I Get a Kick Out of Bu (1988)
- Chippin' In (1990)
- One for All (1990)
albums
- At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 (1956)
- At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 (1956)
- A Midnight Session with the Jazz Messengers (1957)
- 1958 – Paris Olympia (1959)
- At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vols. 1 & 2 (1959)
- Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1960)
- Paris Jam Session (1960)
- Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World, Vols. 1 and 2 (1960)
- A Jazz Hour with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Blues March (1961)
- Three Blind Mice (1962)
- Ugetsu (1963)
- Buttercorn Lady (1966)
- Jazz Messengers '70 (1970)
- In This Korner (1978)
- Live at Montreux and Northsea (1980)
- One by One (1981)
- Art Blakey in Sweden (1981)
- Straight Ahead (1981)
- Keystone 3 (1982)
- Live at Kimball's (1985)
- The Art of Jazz: Live in Leverkusen (1989)
albums
- Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (1956)
- The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (1956)
- Drum Suite (1957)
- Pisces (1979)
- Africaine (1981)
- Originally (1982)
albums
- Des Femmes Disparaissent (1959)
- Les liaisons dangereuses 1960 (1960)
solo albums
- Blakey (1954)*
- A Night at Birdland Vol. 1, Vol. 2 & Vol. 3 (1954)
- Orgy in Rhythm (1957)
- Art Blakey Big Band (1957)
- Holiday for Skins (1958)
- Drums Around the Corner (1959)
- The African Beat (1962)
- A Jazz Message (1963)
- Hold On, I'm Coming (1966)
- Killer Joe (1981)
- Bluesiana Triangle (1990)