Biography
Robert Michael Watson Jnr., 23 August 1953, Lawrence, Kansas, USA. Watson comes from a musical family; his father played tenor saxophone, as well as working at tuning saxophones and repairing instruments. He played piano from the age of 10, and took up clarinet when he was 12 years old. In his teens he was playing saxophone in R&B bands, then studied music theory at the University of Miami between 1972 and 1975. In 1976, he relocated to New York and joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers the following year, later becoming the group’s musical director. By the time Watson left in 1981, he had produced some of the best late-period Messengers music. A number he wrote then, ‘ETA (Estimated Time Of Arrival)’, became a theme tune for him. Watson’s intense, crystalline alto saxophone sound was much in demand and he played with George Coleman (1981 onwards) and Charlie Persip (1982 onwards). In 1983 he co-founded the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet...
Read the Full Biography of Bobby Watson (Jazz) / Horizon Quintet
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