Song:Deep Pockets
Album:From the Heart
Alto sax player Bobby Watson started out as musical director of the late 70s edition of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Since then he has recorded as a leader and a sideman and he is an educator in his home town of Kansas City. He was born Aug. 23, 1953 in Lawrence, KS and he grew up in Kansas City. He attended the University of Miami. Classmates included Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and Bruce Hornsby. After graduation, Watson moved to New York and he became Art Blakey's musical director in 1977. He left in 1981 and became a very popular sideman. He also recorded as a leader for Enja and in the 90s he recorded for Blue Note and Columbia. He formed the band Horizon in 1988 with bassist Curtis Lundy. These two have worked together frequently for many years. Watson is also the director of jazz studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Deep Pockets is from Watson's 2007 album From The Heart on Palmetto Records. Musicians are Curtis Lundy on bass, Leron Thomas on trumpet, Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Harold O'Neal on piano and Quincy Davis on drums. He also recorded Deep Pockets with The Leaders on the 2007 album Spirits Alike. The Leaders recorded a few albums in the 80s. Sax player Chico Freeman and bassist Cecil McBee reformed The Leaders with Watson, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Fred Harris on piano and Billy Hart on drums. They toured and that's where the video is from. It looks like The Leaders reformed for the one album. I recommend Watson's album only because it's cheaper. Watson's latest album is Bird at 100 in 2019. It's a Charlie Parker tribute with Watson, Gary Bartz and Vincent Herring. Here's Bobby Watson with The Leaders performing Deep Pockets at Jazzwoche Berghausen in Germany 2007. This entire concert can be streamed on YouTube.
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