Douglas Watkins (March 2, 1934 – February 5, 1962) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

double bassist The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including

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 ...

and

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

Biography

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 t ...

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 t ...

, United States. An original member of the Jazz Messengers, he later played in

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...

's quintet and freelanced with

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

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 ...

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

Hank Mobley Henry "Hank" Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to de ...

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

, and

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 ...

among others. 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

, with

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...

and

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

. According to

'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 McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...

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. When

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 an ...

briefly ventured over to the piano stool in 1961, he hired Watkins to take over the bass part; '' Oh Yeah'' and ''

Tonight at Noon Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...

'' were the results. Watkins recorded only two albums as leader: ''Watkins at Large'' for Transition; and '' Soulnik'' for New Jazz. The latter, recorded in 1960, with Yusef Lateef, features Watkins on cello with Herman Wright backing him on bass. The cello was an instrument he had started to play only a few days before the recording session. Watkins died in an automobile accident near Holbrook, Arizona, on February 5, 1962, while traveling from Arizona to San Francisco to meet drummer Philly Joe Jones for a gig.

Discography

As leader

* 1956: ''Watkins at Large'' ( Transition) * 1960: '' Soulnik'' (New Jazz)

As sideman

With

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a ...

*''

Baritones and French Horns ''Baritones and French Horns'' is a rpm album released in August 1958 by Prestige Records. The album is one of a series of releases attributed to the ''Prestige All Stars''. Each side of the album was a distinct date with distinct personnel. ...

'' (Prestige, 1957) *'' Critic's Choice'' (World Pacific, 1957) *''

The Pepper-Knepper Quintet ''The Pepper-Knepper Quintet'' is an album led by baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams and trombonist Jimmy Knepper which was recorded in 1958 and originally released on the MetroJazz label.

'' (MetroJazz, 1958) with Jimmy Knepper *'' 10 to 4 at the 5 Spot'' (Riverside, 1958) With

*'' Jammin' with Gene'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' Funky'' (Prestige, 1957) *''

Blue Gene Blue Gene is an IBM project aimed at designing supercomputers that can reach operating speeds in the petaFLOPS (PFLOPS) range, with low power consumption. The project created three generations of supercomputers, Blue Gene/L, Blue Gene/P, ...

'' (Prestige, 1958) *''

Boss Tenor ''Boss Tenor'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1960 and released on the Prestige label.Velvet Soul'' (Prestige, 1960 964 *'' Angel Eyes'' (Prestige, 1960

965 Year 965 ( CMLXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II conquers the fortress cities of Ta ...

*'' Nice an' Cool'' (Moodsville, 1961) *'' Jug'' (Prestige, 1961) 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 ...

*'' At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1'' (Blue Note, 1955) *''

At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 ''At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2'' is a 1956 live album release by the Jazz Messengers. It was first released by Blue Note Records. This record featured the original incarnation of The Jazz Messengers, one of Art Blakey's most endearing bands, and w ...

'' (Blue Note, 1955) * '' Originally'' (Columbia, 1956 982 With Tina Brooks *'' Minor Move'' (Blue Note, 1958) With

*'' All Night Long'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' All Day Long'' (Prestige, 1957) *''

'' (Prestige, 1957) *'' K. B. Blues'' (Blue Note, 1957 979 *''

2 Guitars ''2 Guitars'' is an album by guitarists Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney recorded in 1957 and released on the Prestige label.Jimmy Raney (Prestige, 1957) With

*''

Byrd's Eye View ''Byrd's Eye View'' is an album by trumpeter Donald Byrd recorded in 1955 and originally released on Tom Wilson's Transition label.

'' (Transition, 1955) *'' Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill'' (Transition, 1956) *'' 2 Trumpets'' (Prestige, 1956) - with

*'' Jazz Eyes'' (Regent, 1957) - with John Jenkins *''Byrd in Paris'' (Brunswick, 1958) *''Parisian Thoroughfare'' (Brunswick, 1958) *'' Fuego'' (Blue Note, 1959) *''

Byrd in Flight ''Byrd in Flight'' is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd recorded in 1960 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4048 and BST 84048 featuring Byrd with Jackie McLean or Hank Mobley, Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins or Reggie Workman, and Lex ...

'' (Blue Note, 1960) *''

Chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of n ...

'' (Blue Note, 1961) With

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

*''

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

'' (Prestige, 1957 963 With

*''

The Cats ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (Prestige, 1957) With

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, 19 ...

*''

New Trombone ''New Trombone'' is the debut album by trombonist Curtis Fuller recorded in 1957 and originally released on Prestige Records.

'' (Prestige, 1957) With

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in j ...

*'' Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio'' (Swingville, 1959) *'' Satin Doll'' (Prestige, 1959

971 Year 971 ( CMLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Dorostolon: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men ...

*'' Rediscovered Masters'' (Prestige, 1959

977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman m ...

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 laun ...

*'' Gettin' with It'' (New Jazz, 1959) With

Bill Hardman William Franklin Hardman Jr. (April 6, 1933 – December 6, 1990) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist who chiefly played hard bop. He was married to Roseline and they had a daughter Nadege. Career Hardman was born and grew ...

*''

Saying Something ''Saying Something'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Hardman which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Savoy label. The 1986 reissue added an additional track from the original sessions Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Sa ...

1961) With

Wilbur Harden Wilbur Harden (December 31, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama – June 10, 1969 in New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. Harden is best remembered for his recordings with saxophonists Yusef Lateef and John Coltra ...

*'' Mainstream 1958'' (Savoy, 1958) 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 ...

*''

Mad Thad ''Mad Thad'' is a Hardbop jazz album by Thad Jones recorded in 1957 for Period Records. Track listing # Whisper Not (Benny Golson) – 5:35 # Quiet Sip (Thad Jones) – 9:01 # Ballad Medley: #* Flamingo (Ted Grouya, Edmund Anderson) – 1 ...

'' (Period, 1957) *'' Olio'' (Prestige, 1957) With Yusef Lateef *'' Jazz for the Thinker'' (Savoy, 1957) *''

Jazz Mood ''Jazz Mood'' is the first released album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1957 and released on the Savoy label.

'' (Savoy, 1957) With

*'' Presenting... Jackie McLean'' (Ad Lib, 1955) *'' Lights Out!'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' 4, 5 and 6'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' Jackie McLean & Co.'' (Prestige, 1957) *'' Alto Madness'' (Prestige, 1957) - with John Jenkins *''

Bluesnik ''Bluesnik'' is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1961 and released on the Blue Note label.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 an ...

*'' Oh Yeah'' (Atlantic, 1961) *''

'' (Atlantic, 1961) With

*'' Hank Mobley Quartet'' (Blue Note, 1955) *'' The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley'' (Savoy, 1956) *'' Mobley's Message'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' Mobley's 2nd Message'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' Jazz Message No. 2'' (Savoy, 1956) *'' Hank Mobley and his All Stars'' (Blue Note, 1957) *''

Hank Mobley Quintet ''Hank Mobley Quintet'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley released on the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label in 1957 as BLP 1550. It was recorded on March 8, 1957 and features Mobley, trumpeter Art Farmer, bassist Doug Watkins, pianist H ...

'' (Blue Note, 1957) With

*'' Introducing Lee Morgan'' (Savoy, 1956) *''

Candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

'' (Blue Note, 1957) With The Prestige All Stars *'' Wheelin' & Dealin''' (Prestige, 1957) With Paul Quinichette *'' On the Sunny Side'' (Prestige, 1957) With Dizzy Reece *'' Soundin' Off'' (Blue Note, 1960) With Rita Reys *'' The Cool Voice of Rita Reys'' (Columbia, 1956) With

*'' Saxophone Colossus'' (Prestige, 1956) *'' Newk's Time'' (Blue Note, 1957) With

*'' Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers'' (Blue Note, 1955) *''

Silver's Blue ''Silver's Blue'' is a studio album by American jazz pianist Horace Silver recorded for the Epic label in 1956 featuring performances by Silver with Joe Gordon, Hank Mobley, Doug Watkins, and Kenny Clarke and another session with Donald Byrd and ...

'' (Columbia, 1956) *'' 6 Pieces of Silver'' (Blue Note, 1956) With Louis Smith *'' Here Comes Louis Smith'' (Blue Note, 1957) With Idrees Sulieman *''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

'' (New Jazz, 1958) with the Prestige All Stars With Billy Taylor *'' Interlude'' (Moodsville, 1961) With

*''

Pairing Off ''Pairing Off'' is an album by saxophonist Phil Woods' Septet recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1956)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Doug 1934 births 1962 deaths African-American musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists The Jazz Messengers members Blue Note Records artists Prestige Records artists Musicians from Detroit 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Michigan 20th-century double-bassists American male jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians