Julius Watkins - Music Artist Band Bio

Biography

Born 10 October 1921, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 4 April 1977, Short Hills, New Jersey, USA. Watkins started playing French horn in grammar school at the age of nine. Between 1943 and 1946 he worked with Ernie Fields, lived in Colorado for a year and then returned to Detroit to form his own band. He studied with Francis Hellstein of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Robert Schultze of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and spent three years at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1949, he worked with Milt Buckner. Watkins recorded with Kenny Clarke and Babs Gonzales and gigged with bass player Oscar Pettiford, then in 1954 toured with the Pete Rugolo Orchestra and recorded with Thelonious Monk. In early 1956, he had formed Les Jazz Modes with Charlie Rouse, which lasted for three years, and he also performed on Miles Davis' Porgy And Bess. In August 1959, he joined George Shearing's big band and played in the Charles Mingus Workshop in 1965 and 1971. He also recorded with the Jazz Composers Orchestra in 1968. The French horn came to symbolize the classical aspirations of "cool' jazz, but Watkins" playing always had the power and edge of a top jazz improviser.

Discography:
New Faces - New Sounds: Julius Watkins Sextet (Blue Note 1954)***, with Les Jazz Modes Jazzville (Dawn 1956)***, Les Jazz Modes (Dawn 1956)***, Mood In Scarlet reissued as Smart Jazz For The Smart Set (Dawn 1957)***, The Most Happy Fella (Atlantic 1958)***, Les Jazz Modes 1956 recordings (Biograph)****.



Source: Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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