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{{Short description|American jazz double bassist}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Doug Watkins
| image = Doug Watkins.jpg
| name = Doug Watkins
| caption = Watkins c. 1950
| image = Doug Watkins.jpg
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| caption = Doug Watkins [date unknown]
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1934|3|2}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1934|3|2}}
| birth_place = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], [[United States]]
| birth_place = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], United States
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|2|5|1934|3|2}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|2|5|1934|3|2}}
| death_place =
| death_place = near [[Holbrook, Arizona]]
| instrument = [[Double bass]], [[cello]]
| instrument = [[Double bass]], [[cello]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| occupation = Musician, composer
| occupation = Musician, composer
| years_active = 1950–1962
| years_active = 1950–1962
| label = [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]], [[Prestige Records|Prestige]], [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| label = [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]], [[Prestige Records|Prestige]], [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| associated_acts = [[Art Blakey]], [[Horace Silver]], [[Sonny Rollins]], [[Hank Mobley]], [[Charles Mingus]], [[Red Garland]], [[Donald Byrd]], [[Kenny Burrell]], [[Lee Morgan]]
| associated_acts = [[Art Blakey]], [[Horace Silver]], [[Sonny Rollins]], [[Hank Mobley]], [[Charles Mingus]], [[Red Garland]], [[Donald Byrd]], [[Kenny Burrell]], [[Lee Morgan]]
}}
}}
'''Douglas Watkins''' (March 2, 1934 &ndash; February 5, 1962) was an American [[jazz]] [[double bassist]].<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=479}}</ref> He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including [[Donald Byrd]] and [[Jackie McLean]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bluenote.com/artists/doug-watkins|title=Doug Watkins {{!}} Artists|website=Bluenote.com|access-date=2018-06-26|language=en}}</ref>
'''Douglas Watkins''' (March 2, 1934 &ndash; February 5, 1962) was an American [[jazz]] [[double bassist]] from [[Detroit]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
An original member of the [[Art Blakey|Jazz Messengers]], he later played in [[Horace Silver]]'s quintet<ref name=bop>[http://hardbop.tripod.com/watkins.html Rhyan, Dianna ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' cited at The Hard Bop Home page]</ref> and freelanced with [[Gene Ammons]], [[Kenny Burrell]], [[Donald Byrd]], [[Art Farmer]], [[Jackie McLean]], [[Hank Mobley]],<ref name=bop/> [[Lee Morgan]], [[Sonny Rollins]], and [[Phil Woods]] among others.
Watkins was born in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], United States.<ref name="Larkin50"/> An original member of the [[Art Blakey|Jazz Messengers]], he later played in [[Horace Silver]]'s quintet<ref name=bop>{{Cite web|url=http://hardbop.tripod.com/watkins.html|title=Doug Watkins: The Hard Bop Homepage|website=Hardbop.tripod.com|access-date=2019-10-29}}</ref> and freelanced with [[Gene Ammons]], [[Kenny Burrell]], [[Donald Byrd]], [[Art Farmer]], [[Jackie McLean]], [[Hank Mobley]],<ref name=bop/> [[Lee Morgan]], [[Sonny Rollins]], and [[Phil Woods]] among others.<ref name="AM">{{cite web |last=Yanow |first=Scott |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/doug-watkins-mn0000199677/biography |title=Doug Watkins |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref>


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 (musician)|Tommy Flanagan]]. From that session, the tunes "Blue Seven" and "St. Thomas," especially, have become revered not only as evidence of Rollins' original genius but as fine examples of Watkins' work.
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 (musician)|Tommy Flanagan]].<ref name="Larkin50"/>


According to [[Horace Silver]]'s autobiography, ''Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty'', Watkins, along with Silver, later left [[Art Blakey|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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty|last=Silver|first=Horace|publisher=University of California Press|year=1 August 2007|isbn=0520253922|location=|pages=|via=}}</ref>
According to [[Horace Silver]]'s autobiography, ''Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty'', Watkins, along with Silver, later left [[Art Blakey|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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty|last=Silver|first=Horace|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|date=1 August 2007|isbn=978-0520253926}}</ref>


⚫
When [[Charles Mingus]] briefly ventured over to the piano stool in 1961, he hired Watkins to take over the bass part; ''[[Oh Yeah (Charles Mingus album)|Oh Yeah]]'' and ''[[Tonight at Noon (album)|Tonight at Noon]]'' were the results.<ref name="Larkin50"/>
In 1958 Watkins would join Donald Byrd for a European tour, taking up extended residence at [[Le Chat Qui Pêche]], a jazz club on Paris' Left Bank. Along with Byrd, tenor saxophonist [[Bobby Jaspar]], pianist [[Walter Davis, Jr.]] and drummer [[Art Taylor]], Watkins made two albums with Byrd during this time, one recorded in the club and another at a formal concert featuring Byrd's quintet.


Watkins recorded only two albums as leader: ''Watkins at Large'' for [[Transition Records|Transition]]; and ''[[Soulnik]]'' for [[Prestige Records|New Jazz]].<ref name="AM" /> The latter, recorded in 1960, with [[Yusef Lateef]], features Watkins on cello with [[Herman Wright]] backing him on bass.<ref name="Penguin9" /> The cello was an instrument he had started to play only a few days before the recording session.<ref name="Penguin9">{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=[[The Penguin Guide to Jazz|The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings]] |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=[[Penguin Books|Penguin]] |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=1470}}</ref>
Watkins was known for his superb tone and distinct phrasing. He had a distinct walking tone and was right on the beat, forming an organic, indivisible relationship with his instrument as he swayed with it in perfect time. Pianist [[Red Garland]] often stated that Watkins was his favorite bassist and that he was always in tune and never off-key. Watkins played with Garland in 1959, along with drummer [[Specs Wright]].


Watkins died in an automobile accident near [[Holbrook, Arizona]], on February 5, 1962,<ref name="Grove">{{Cite Grove |last=Rhyan |first=Dianna |date=2003 |title=Watkins, Doug(las) |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J474900 }}</ref> while traveling from Arizona to San Francisco to meet drummer [[Philly Joe Jones]] for a gig.<ref name="Larkin50"/>
⚫
While Watkins lived only to the age of 27, he appeared on well over 350 LPs in his career backing many major jazz stars of the time. 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 of this adventurous interlude.

Watkins recorded only two albums as leader. ''Watkins at Large'' (1956) is an album for the tiny Transition label, made with fellow members of the Horace Silver Quintet of the time—most recently it has been available on a two-disc set, ''The Transition Sessions'' (Blue Note, 2002), which incorporates two additional Transition dates on which Watkins appears.

The other Watkins-led session, ''Soulnik'' (1961), with [[Yusef Lateef]] and reissued as part of the [[Original Jazz Classics|OJC]] series, features Watkins on cello with Herman Wright backing him on bass. The cello was an instrument he had started to play only three days before the recording session.

Watkins died in an automobile accident on February 5, 1962, while traveling from Arizona to San Francisco to meet drummer [[Philly Joe Jones]] for a gig. He fell asleep at the wheel and was hit head-on by an oncoming truck. The other occupants of the car, pianist [[Roland Hanna|Sir Roland Hanna]] and trumpeter [[Bill Hardman]], survived the crash. Watkins made enough recordings with seminal musicians, especially Blakey, Silver, Mobley, Byrd and Rollins, to ensure his lasting reputation as a superb musician, an unselfish and enabling ensemble player, and a bassist-walker with few peers.

Doug Watkins and [[Paul Chambers]] were best friends from high school. Doug introduced Paul to his next door neighbor and childhood friend Annie Williams. Doug knew Paul and Annie liked one another and he liked them. He was Paul's best man at their wedding. Doug and Paul started a rumor that they were cousins as a joke because they looked alike, dressed alike and were tall. People still confused the two as each other. They were best friends until Doug's untimely death in 1962. Doug and Paul were not related other than loving one another as friends and fellow bass players.


==Discography==
==Discography==

===As leader===
===As leader===
* 1956: ''Watkins at Large'' ([[Transition Records|Transition]])
* 1956: ''Watkins at Large'' ([[Transition Records|Transition]])
Line 45: Line 36:


===As sideman===
===As sideman===
{{div col|cols=3}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
'''With [[Pepper Adams]]'''
'''With [[Pepper Adams]]'''
*''[[Baritones and French Horns]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[Baritones and French Horns]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
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'''With [[Kenny Burrell]]'''
'''With [[Kenny Burrell]]'''
*''[[All Night Long (Kenny Burrell album)|All Night Long]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[All Night Long (Kenny Burrell album)|All Night Long]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[All Day Long]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[All Day Long (Kenny Burrell album)|All Day Long]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[Kenny Burrell (album)|Kenny Burrell]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[Kenny Burrell (album)|Kenny Burrell]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[K. B. Blues]]'' (Blue Note, 1957 [1979])
*''[[K. B. Blues]]'' (Blue Note, 1957 [1979])
Line 101: Line 92:
*''[[Mad Thad]]'' (Period, 1957)
*''[[Mad Thad]]'' (Period, 1957)
*''[[Olio (Thad Jones album)|Olio]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[Olio (Thad Jones album)|Olio]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
'''With [[Bill Hardman]]'''
*''[[Saying Something]]'' (Savoy, 1961)
'''With [[Yusef Lateef]]'''
'''With [[Yusef Lateef]]'''
*''[[Jazz for the Thinker]]'' (Savoy, 1957)
*''[[Jazz for the Thinker]]'' (Savoy, 1957)
*''[[Jazz Mood]]'' (Savoy, 1957)
*''[[Jazz Mood]]'' (Savoy, 1957)
'''With [[Jackie McLean]]'''
'''With [[Jackie McLean]]'''
*''Presenting Jackie McLean'' (Jubilee, 1955)
*''[[Presenting... Jackie McLean]]'' (Ad Lib, 1955)
*''[[Lights Out!]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[Lights Out!]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[4, 5 and 6]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[4, 5 and 6]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
Line 128: Line 117:
*''[[Candy (Lee Morgan album)|Candy]]'' (Blue Note, 1957)
*''[[Candy (Lee Morgan album)|Candy]]'' (Blue Note, 1957)
'''With The Prestige All Stars'''
'''With The Prestige All Stars'''
*''[[Wheelin' & Dealin']]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige All-Stars album)|Wheelin' & Dealin']]'' (Prestige, 1957)
'''With [[Paul Quinichette]]'''
'''With [[Paul Quinichette]]'''
*''[[On the Sunny Side (Paul Quinichette album)|On the Sunny Side]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
*''[[On the Sunny Side (Paul Quinichette album)|On the Sunny Side]]'' (Prestige, 1957)
Line 150: Line 139:
'''With [[Phil Woods]]'''
'''With [[Phil Woods]]'''
*''[[Pairing Off]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
*''[[Pairing Off]]'' (Prestige, 1956)
{{div col end}}
</div>


== References ==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Jazz Messengers}}
{{Jazz Messengers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Doug}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Doug}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
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[[Category:African-American musicians]]
[[Category:African-American musicians]]
[[Category:American jazz double-bassists]]
[[Category:American jazz double-bassists]]
[[Category:Jazz Messengers]]
[[Category:American male double-bassists]]
[[Category:The Jazz Messengers members]]
[[Category:Blue Note Records artists]]
[[Category:Blue Note Records artists]]
[[Category:Prestige Records artists]]
[[Category:Prestige Records artists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Detroit]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Detroit]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American double-bassists]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]

Latest revision as of 19:56, 12 December 2024

Doug Watkins
Doug Watkins [date unknown]
Doug Watkins [date unknown]
Background information
Born(1934-03-02)March 2, 1934
Detroit, Michigan, United States
DiedFebruary 5, 1962(1962-02-05) (aged 27)
near Holbrook, Arizona
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Double bass, cello
Years active1950–1962
LabelsBlue 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

As leader

[edit]

As sideman

[edit]

With Pepper Adams

With Gene Ammons

With Art Blakey

With Tina Brooks

With Kenny Burrell

With Donald Byrd

With John Coltrane

  • Dakar (Prestige, 1957 [1963])

With Tommy Flanagan

With Curtis Fuller

With Red Garland

With Benny Golson

With Bill Hardman

With Wilbur Harden

With Thad Jones

With Yusef Lateef

With Jackie McLean

With Charles Mingus

With Hank Mobley

With Lee Morgan

With The Prestige All Stars

With Paul Quinichette

With Dizzy Reece

With Rita Reys

With Sonny Rollins

With Horace Silver

With Louis Smith

With Idrees Sulieman

  • Roots (New Jazz, 1958) with the Prestige All Stars

With Billy Taylor

With Phil Woods

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Doug Watkins | Artists". Bluenote.com. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  3. ^ a b "Doug Watkins: The Hard Bop Homepage". Hardbop.tripod.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  4. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. "Doug Watkins". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  5. ^ Silver, Horace (1 August 2007). Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520253926.
  6. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1470. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  7. ^ Rhyan, Dianna (2003). "Watkins, Doug(las)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J474900. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
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