Doc Watkins (born Brent Watkins; June 11, 1981) is a pianist and singer based in San Antonio, TX. He is the creator and co-host of the weekly radio program ''Live at Jazz, TX,'' which is syndicated through

Texas Public Radio Texas Public Radio, or TPR is the on-air name for a group of public radio stations serving south central Texas - including San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country - and the Big Country region of West Central Texas. All are affiliated with Nati ...

. Currently in its third season, ''Live at Jazz, TX'' has featured interviews and performances by notable artists such as

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...

Jane Monheit Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977"Jane Monheit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 33. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-05-07.) is an American jazz and pop singer. Early life Monheit was b ...

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...

, and

Marcia Ball Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949, Orange, Texas, United States) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana. Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock a ...

. Watkins is the owner and founder of ''Jazz, TX'', a restaurant and performance venue located in the Historic Pearl Brewery Complex in San Antonio, TX. He performs there weekly with his Orchestra. Watkins was born and raised in Oregon and moved to Austin, TX in 2003, where he earned a master's degree and PhD in music from the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

. In 2006 he relocated to San Antonio and began performing regularly at local venues on the

San Antonio Riverwalk The San Antonio River Walk is a city park and special-case pedestrian street in San Antonio, Texas, one level down from the automobile street. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shop ...

. In January 2014, he performed with his Jazz Trio at New York City's Carnegie Hall. In 2016, Watkins opened his own venue, ''Jazz, TX','' where he performs regularly with his band. In 2020, Watkins hosted and co-produced ''The Doc Watkins Show'', a live stream television program that ran for 45 episodes during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The show featured Watkins and his band, with remote guest appearances from

, Alan Havey,

Brent Barry Brent Robert Barry (born December 31, 1971), also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American basketball executive, broadcaster and former player. He is the current vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs. The shooting ...

Champian Fulton Champian Fulton (born September 12, 1985) is an American jazz singer and pianist. Career Early years Champian Fulton was born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1985. Her father, Stephen Fulton, was a jazz trumpeter who was often visited by musician frien ...

Jerry Weldon Jerry Weldon (born September 27, 1957) is a tenor saxophonist, noted for his involvement in various groups such as Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Harry Connick, Jr.'s big band. He is seen as a "veteran" of the New York jazz scene. Career Weldon g ...

, Mayor

Ron Nirenberg Ronald Adrian Nirenberg (born April 11, 1977) is an American politician who is the mayor of San Antonio, Texas. Prior to his election, Nirenberg served as a member of the San Antonio City Council for District 8 for two terms. In 2013, Nirenberg ...

and others. The show was awarded "Best Live Stream Experience" by San Antonio Magazine in 2021. Watkins has performed with

Herlin Riley Herlin Riley (born February 15, 1957) is an American jazz drummer and a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. A native of New Orleans, Riley started on the drums when he was three. He played trumpet through high ...

Butch Miles Butch Miles (born Charles J. Thorton, Jr. on July 4, 1944) is an American jazz drummer. He has played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett Career Miles, who ci ...

, Jim Cullum,

Ephraim Owens Ephraim Owens (born November 5, 1972) is an American musician, composer, and jazz bandleader who plays trumpet and flugelhorn. He has toured and recorded with the Tedeschi Trucks Band since 2015. He is one of the most highly regarded jazz musicia ...

, Stan Mark,

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990 ...

, Bijon Watson,

Leon Hughes Leon Hughes, Sr. (born Leon Hughes, May 6, 1930 in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles County, California) is an American rhythm and blues singer. He is the last surviving original member of The Coasters. Biography Leon Hughes is an origi ...

, and

Renee Olstead Renee Olstead (born June 18, 1989) is an American actress and singer. Active since childhood as an actress, she is best known for her roles on the CBS sitcom '' Still Standing'' and on the ABC Family drama ''The Secret Life of the American Teenag ...

. He currently resides in San Antonio, TX with his wife Jessica and their four children.

Discography

Albums

* 2005 ''– The Classical Concert'' *2011 ''– Live from Bohanan's'' *2014 ''– The Outlaw'' * 2015 – ''A Willie Nelson Tribute'' * 2015 – ''Swinging from San Antonio'' * 2015 – ''Doc Watkins and his Orchestra'' (EP) * 2017 – ''Jazz, TX'' *2018 – ''Christmas in Jazz, TX'' *2019 – ''Songs of 2019'' *2022 – ''The Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas''

References

External links

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Doc 1981 births Living people Musicians from Oregon Musicians from San Antonio American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians