Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

. Described by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Miscellaneous Instrument.

Life and career

Watkins was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, United States. He began playing the French horn when he was nine years old. Watkins began his career in jazz playing the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

in the

Ernie Fields Ernest Lawrence Fields (August 28, 1904 – May 11, 1997)Laprarie, Michael Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' (accessed May 14, 2010). was an American trombonist, pianist, arranger and bandleader. He first became known for leadin ...

Orchestra from 1943 to 1946. By the late 1940s, he had played some French horn solos on recording sessions led by

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...

and Babs Gonzales. After moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Watkins studied for three years at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...

. He started appearing in small-group jazz sessions, including two led by

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

, featuring on "Friday the 13th" on the album ''

Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins ''Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins'' is a compilation album by jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and saxophonist Sonny Rollins released in 1956 by Prestige Records. The tracks on it were recorded in three sessions between 1953 and 1954. W ...

'' (1954). Watkins recorded with many other jazz musicians, including

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

and

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role ...

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

, and with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra. He co-led, with

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Wash ...

, the group Les Jazz Modes from 1956 to 1959, and he toured with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

and his band from 1959 to 1961. In 1969, Watkins played French horn for the beat poet

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

's album ''

Songs of Innocence and Experience ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...

'' (1970), a musical adaptation of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

's poetry collection of the same name. Suffering from diabetes, liver and kidney problems, and chronic alcoholism, Watkins died from a heart attack in

Short Hills, New Jersey Short Hills is an unincorporated community located within Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City. As of the 2020 United States Census, the CDP's pop ...

, at the age of 55.Smith, P. G
"Julius Watkins and the Evolution of the Jazz French Horn Genre"
(dissertation), University of Florida, 2005, p. 56-57. Retrieved October 6, 2016. From 1994 to 1998, an annual Julius Watkins Jazz Horn Festival was held in New York, beginning at the Knitting Factory,) honoring his legacy. After an eleven-year break, another Julius Watkins Festival was held on October 3, 2009, in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, at

Cornish College of the Arts Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914. History Cornish College of the Arts was founded in 1914 as the Cornish School of Music, by Nellie Cornish (1876–1956), a teacher of ...

. On September 29, 2012, the seventh Julius Watkins Jazz Horn Festival was held at

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Julius Watkins Sextet, Vol 1 & 2'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1954, 1955) * ''

French Horns for My Lady ''French Horns for My Lady'' is an album by horn player Julius Watkins which was originally released on the Philips Records, Philips label in 1962.Smith, P. GJulius Watkins and the Evolution of the Jazz French Horn Genre accessed November 17, 201 ...

'' (Phillips, 1962) With

as Les Jazz Modes/The Jazz Modes *''Jazzville Vol. 1'' (Dawn, 1956) - shared LP with

Gene Quill Daniel Eugene Quill (December 15, 1927 – December 8, 1988) was an American jazz alto saxophonist who played often with Phil Woods in the duet Phil and Quill. Quill also worked as a sideman for Buddy DeFranco, Quincy Jones, Gene Krupa, Gerry M ...

-Dick Sherman Quintet *'' Les Jazz Modes'' (Dawn, 1956) *'' Mood in Scarlet'' (Dawn, 1956) *''

The Most Happy Fella ''The Most Happy Fella'' is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the 1924 play '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard. The show i ...

'' (Atlantic, 1958) *'' The Jazz Modes'' (Atlantic, 1959) With Jazz Contemporaries (

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after ...

Harold Mabern Harold Mabern Jr. (March 20, 1936 – September 17, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer, principally in the hard bop, post-bop, and soul jazz fields.Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. p. 42 ...

Larry Ridley Larry Ridley (born September 3, 1937) is an American jazz bassist and music educator. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Ridley was born and reared in Indianapolis, Indiana. He began performing professionally while still in high school in the 1950s ...

, Keno Duke) *'' Reasons in Tonality'' (Strata-East, 1972)

As sideman

With

Manny Albam Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator. Early life A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...

*''

Jazz Goes to the Movies ''Jazz Goes to the Movies'' is an album by American jazz arranger and conductor Manny Albam recorded in 1962 for the Impulse! label.

'' (

Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...

, 1962) With

Benny Bailey Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey (August 13, 1925 – April 14, 2005) was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bailey briefly studied flute and piano before turning to trumpet. He attended the Cleveland Conserva ...

*'' Big Brass'' (Candid, 1960) With

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

*'' Golden Boy'' (Colpix, 1964) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

*''

Guitar Forms ''Guitar Forms'' is a 1965 album by Kenny Burrell, featuring arrangements by Gil Evans. Evans' orchestra appears on five of the album's nine tracks, including the nearly 9-minute "Lotus Land". Three tracks are blues numbers in a small group forma ...

'' (Verve, 1965) With

Billy Byers William Mitchell Byers (May 1, 1927 – May 1, 1996) was an American jazz trombonist and arranger. Early life Byers was born in Los Angeles on May 1, 1927. He suffered from arthritis from a young age and was unable to continue his plans of a care ...

*''Impressions of Duke Ellington'' (Mercury, 1961) With

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

*''

Jazz Lab ''Jazz Lab'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Gigi Gryce, released in 1957 by Columbia.Gigi Gryce Gigi Gryce (born George General Grice Jr.; November 28, 1925 – March 14, 1983), later Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. While his performing career was relatively short, ...

*''

Modern Jazz Perspective ''Modern Jazz Perspective'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Gigi Gryce, with featured vocalist Jackie Paris, recorded in 1957 for the Columbia label. Reception Track listing ''All compositions by Gigi Gryce e ...

'' (Columbia, 1957) - with Gigi Gryce With

*''

Africa/Brass ''Africa/Brass'' is the eighth studio album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released on September 1, 1961 on Impulse! Records. The sixth release for the fledgling label and Coltrane's first for Impulse!, it features Coltrane's working quartet au ...

'' (Impulse!, 1961) *'' The Africa/Brass Sessions, Volume 2'' (Impulse!, 1961

974 Year 974 ( CMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Battle of Danevirke: Emperor Otto II defeats the rebel forces of King Harald I, who ha ...

With

Tadd Dameron Tadley Ewing Peake Dameron (February 21, 1917 – March 8, 1965) was an American jazz composer, arranger, and pianist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dameron was the most influential arranger of the bebop era, but also wrote charts for swi ...

*'' The Magic Touch'' (Riverside, 1962) With

*''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

'' (Columbia, 1959) *''

Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall ''Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall'' is a live album by American jazz musician Miles Davis. Subtitled ''The Legendary Performances of May 19, 1961'', it was released by Columbia Records as CL 1812 in monaural and CS 8612 as "electronically re-cha ...

'' (Columbia, 1961) *'' Quiet Nights'' (Columbia, 1963) With Billy Eckstein *'' At Basin Street East'' (EmArcy, 1961) with Quincy Jones With

*'' New Bottle Old Wine'' (World Pacific, 1958) *''

The Individualism of Gil Evans ''The Individualism of Gil Evans'' is an album by pianist, conductor, arranger and composer Gil Evans originally released on the Verve label in 1964. It features Evans' big band arrangements of five original compositions (two cowritten with Miles ...

'' (Verve, 1964) *'' Blues in Orbit'' (Enja, 1971) With Art Farmer *''

Brass Shout ''Brass Shout'' is an album by trumpeter Art Farmer, featuring a brass ensemble arranged and conducted by Benny Golson. Recorded in 1959, the album was originally released on the United Artists label.Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 1932. ...

and

Hampton Hawes Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (November 13, 1928 – May 22, 1977) was an American jazz pianist. He was the author of the memoir ''Raise Up Off Me'', which won the Deems-Taylor Award for music writing in 1975. Early life Hampton Hawes was born on ...

*'' Curtis Fuller and Hampton Hawes with French Horns'' (Status, 1957

962 Year 962 ( CMLXII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December – Arab–Byzantine wars – Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine e ...

With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

*''

Gillespiana ''Gillespiana'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie featuring compositions by Lalo Schifrin recorded in 1960 and released on the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1960) With

*''

'' (MGM, 1970) With

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

*'' Benny Golson's New York Scene'' (Contemporary, 1957) With

*'' Change of Pace'' (Riverside, 1961) With

Gigi Gryce Gigi Gryce (born George General Grice Jr.; November 28, 1925 – March 14, 1983), later Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. While his performing career was relatively short, ...

*''

Nica's Tempo ''Nica's Tempo'' is the most common latter-day title of an album by the Gigi Gryce Orchestra and Quartet, recorded and first released in late 1955. The title track is a reference to Nica de Koenigswarter (born Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild) ...

'' (Signal, 1955) With

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

*'' The Quota'' (Riverside, 1961) *'' Triple Threat'' (Riverside, 1962) *'' Swamp Seed'' (Riverside, 1963) With

*''

The Body & the Soul ''The Body & the Soul'' is an album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard recorded in 1963 as his second and last release on the Impulse! label. It features performances by Hubbard with an orchestra and string section, and with a septet featuring Cur ...

'' (Impulse!, 1963) With

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

*''

Meet Milt Jackson ''Meet Milt Jackson'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded between 1949 and 1956 and released on the Savoy label.

'' (Savoy, 1949) *'' Roll 'Em Bags'' (Savoy, 1949) *''

For Someone I Love ''For Someone I Love'' is an album by vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring big band performances arranged by Melba Liston recorded in 1963 and released on the Riverside label.

'' (Riverside, 1963) With The Jazz Composer's Orchestra *'' The Jazz Composer's Orchestra'' (JCOA 1968) With

*''

The Birth of a Band! ''The Birth of a Band!'' is an album by Quincy Jones that was released by Mercury with performances by Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Harry Edison, and Phil Woods.

'' (Mercury, 1959) *''

The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones ''The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones'' is an album by Quincy Jones that was released by Mercury.

'' (Mercury, 1959) *'' Q Live in Paris Circa 1960'' (Quest, 1960

996 Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...

*'' The Birth of a Band! Vol. 2'' (Mercury, 1959-60

984 Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ...

*''

I Dig Dancers ''I Dig Dancers'' is an album Quincy Jones that was released by Mercury with performances recorded in Paris and New York City.

'' (Mercury, 1960) *'' Around the World'' (Mercury, 1961) *''

Newport '61 ''Newport '61'' is a live album by Quincy Jones that was recorded on July 3, 1961, at the Newport Jazz Festival. Track listing # "Meet B.B." (Quincy Jones) – 3:58 # "Boy in the Tree" (Jones) – 5:01 # "Evening in Paris" (Jones) – 5:11 # " ...

'' (Mercury, 1961) *'' The Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones: Live!'' (Mercury, 1961

*'' The Quintessence'' (Impulse!, 1962) *''

Big Band Bossa Nova ''Big Band Bossa Nova'' is an album by American Quincy Jones. Track listing Digital Re-issue, on Verve label Performers * Quincy Jones – conductor, arranger * Phil Woods – alto saxophone * Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone * R ...

'' (Mercury, 1962) *'' Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits'' (Mercury, 1963) *''

Quincy Plays for Pussycats ''Quincy Plays for Pussycats'' is an album by Quincy Jones featuring sessions recorded between 1959 and 1965 which was released on the Mercury label.Matsubayashi, KMercury Records Collection: SR-61050: Quincy Plays For Pussycats / Quincy Jones/re ...

'' (Mercury, 1959-65 965 With

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, U ...

and

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

*''

Consummation In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the consummation of a marriage, often called simply ''consummation'', is the first (or first officially credited) act of sexual intercourse between two people, following their marriage t ...

'' (Solid State, 1970) *'' Suite for Pops'' (Horizon, 1975) *'' New Life'' (Horizon, 1976) With

Beverly Kenney Beverly Kenney (January 29, 1932, Harrison, New Jersey – April 13, 1960, Greenwich Village, New York City) was an American jazz singer. Early life Kenney was born in Harrison, New Jersey on January 29, 1932, the second of Charles Joseph and ...

*''Come Swing with Me'' (Roost, 1956) With

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

*'' Cuban Fire!'' (

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

, 1956) With

Roland Kirk Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

*'' Left & Right'' (Atlantic, 1968) With

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

*''Michel Legrand Big Band Plays Richard Rogers'' (Phillips, 1963) With the Manhattan Jazz All-Stars *''Swinging Guys and Dolls'' (Columbia, 1959) With

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (incl ...

*''

The Herbie Mann String Album ''The Herbie Mann String Album'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann recorded for the Atlantic label and released in 1967.Cal Massey Calvin "Cal" Massey (January 11, 1928 – October 25, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Massey studied trumpet under Freddie Webster, and following this played in ...

*'' Blues to Coltrane'' (Candid, 1961) With

Mat Mathews Mat Mathews, born Mathieu Hubert Wijnandts Schwarts (June 18, 1924 – February 12, 2009), was a Dutch jazz accordionist. Early life Mathews was born in The Hague and learned to play accordion while the Netherlands was still under the Nazi r ...

*''The Modern Art of Jazz by Mat Mathews'' (Dawn, 1956) *''4 French Horns plus Rhythm'' (Elektra, 1958) With Charles McPherson *'' Today's Man'' (Mainstream, 1973) With

Gil Mellé Gilbert John Mellé (31 December 1931 – 28 October 2004) was an American artist, jazz musician and film composer. Life and career In the 1950s, Mellé created the cover art for albums by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. Me ...

*''

Gil's Guests ''Gil's Guests'' is an album by American saxophonist Gil Mellé recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1963) With

*'' Music Written for Monterey 1965'' (Jazz Workshop, 1965) *''

Let My Children Hear Music ''Let My Children Hear Music'' is an album released by Columbia Records in 1972 of music by composer Charles Mingus, produced by Teo Macero. The music is scored for large jazz orchestra and Mingus worked with several arrangers, orchestrators and c ...

'' (Columbia, 1972) With

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and ...

*'' A Sure Thing'' (Riverside, 1962) With

*''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

'' (Prestige, 1954) *''

'' (Prestige, 1954) With David Newman *''

The Many Facets of David Newman ''The Many Facets of David Newman'' is an album by saxophonist David Newman featuring performances recorded in 1968 for the Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1969) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

*'' Afro/American Sketches'' (Prestige, 1961) With

Chico O'Farrill Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill (October 28, 1921 – June 27, 2001) was a Cuban composer, arranger, and conductor, best known for his work in the Latin idiom, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz or "Cubop", although he also composed traditional jazz pieces a ...

*''

Nine Flags ''Nine Flags'' is an album by Cuban composer-arranger Chico O'Farrill featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1966) With

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

*'' Bursting Out with the All-Star Big Band!'' (Verve, 1962) With

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

*''

The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet ''The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet'' is an album by bassist/cellist and composer Oscar Pettiford which was recorded in late 1953 and first issued on the Debut label as a 10-inch LP. The material on the original album was rereleased on Fantasy in 19 ...

'' (Debut, 1953) * ''

'' (Bethlehem, 1954) *'' The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi'' (ABC-Paramount, 1956) *''

The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two ''The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two'' (also referred to as ''O.P.'s Jazz Men'') is an album by bassist/cellist and composer Oscar Pettiford that was recorded in 1957 and first issued on the ABC-Paramount label.Johnny Richards Johnny Richards (born Juan Manuel Cascales, November 2, 1911 – October 7, 1968) was an American jazz arranger and composer. He was a pivotal arranger for some of the more adventurous performances by Stan Kenton's big band in the 1950s and e ...

*''Experiments in Sound'' (Capitol, 1958) *''The Rites of Diablo'' (Roulette, 1958) *''Walk Softly/Run Wild!'' (Coral, 1959) With the Riverside Jazz Stars *''A Jazz Version of Kean'' (Riverside, 1962) With

Pete Rugolo Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...

*''

Rugolomania ''Rugolomania'' is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo, featuring performances recorded in 1954 and 1955 and released on the Columbia label.Minn, MMaynard Ferguson Discographyaccessed October 6, 2016Smith, P. GJulius Watkins ...

'' (Columbia, 1955) *''

New Sounds by Pete Rugolo ''New Sounds by Pete Rugolo'' is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo, featuring performances recorded in 1954 and 1955 for Columbia Records and first released on the budget Harmony label in 1957.Minn, MMaynard Ferguson Disc ...

'' (Harmony, 1954–55, 957 With

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

*''

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

'' (Impulse, 1969) With

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 t ...

*''Satin Brass'' (Capitol, 1959) With Warren Smith *''Composer's Workshop Ensemble'' (Strata-East, 1972) With

Les Spann Leslie Spann Jr. (May 23, 1932 – January 24, 1989) was an American jazz guitarist and flautist. As a sideman he recorded with Nat Adderley, Benny Bailey, Bill Coleman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Curtis Fuller, Red Garland, Benny Goodman, Sam Jon ...

*''

Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...

'' (Jazzland, 1961) With

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the ...

*''

Kwamina ''Kwamina'' is a musical with the libretto by Robert Alan Aurthur and music and lyrics by Richard Adler. Production The musical opened in out of town tryouts in Toronto, where, as noted by Ken Mandelbaum "The reviews were promising",Mandelbaum, ...

'' (Mercury, 1961) With

*''

Color Changes ''Color Changes'' is an album by trumpeter Clark Terry featuring performances recorded in late 1960 and originally released on the Candid label.Edwards, D., & Callahan, M.Candid Records discographyaccessed March 9, 2015Lord, T.Clark Terry Discogr ...

'' (Candid, 1960) With

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

*''

Song of the New World ''Song of the New World'' is a 1973 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his fourth to be released on the Milestone label. It was recorded in April 1973 and features performances by Tyner with a big band including saxophonist Sonny Fortune, flautist ...

'' (Milestone, 1973) With

*'' Uhuru Afrika'' (Roulette, 1960) *''

Highlife Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (British colony), history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions ...

'' (Colpix, 1963) *'' Tanjah'' (Polydor, 1973) With Art Webb *''Mr. Flute'' (Atlantic, 1977) With

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...

*''Mary Lou's Mass'' (Mary, 1972

975 Year 975 ( CMLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor John I raids Mesopotamia and invades Syria, using ...

With

*'' Rights of Swing'' (Candid, 1961)

References

External links

All music AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

br>Downbeat bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Julius 1921 births 1977 deaths Musicians from Detroit American jazz horn players Manhattan School of Music faculty Blue Note Records artists 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Michigan 20th-century American male musicians African-American jazz musicians 20th-century African-American musicians