Doug Watkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Watkins
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Doug Watkins [date unknown]
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| Background information | |
| Born | March 2, 1934 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | February 5, 1962 (aged 27) near Holbrook, Arizona |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Double bass, cello |
| Years active | 1950–1962 |
| Labels | Blue Note, Prestige, Atlantic |
| Associated acts | Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Charles Mingus, Red Garland, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan |
Douglas "Doug" Watkins (born March 2, 1934 – died February 5, 1962) was an American jazz musician. He was a talented double bassist. Doug was well-known for playing alongside many "hard bop" jazz artists. Hard bop is a style of jazz that mixes rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues music. He played with famous musicians like Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.
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Doug Watkins: A Jazz Star
Doug Watkins was born in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. He was one of the first members of a famous jazz group called the Jazz Messengers. This group helped shape the sound of jazz music.
Playing with Jazz Legends
After playing with the Jazz Messengers, Doug joined Horace Silver's band. He also worked with many other top jazz musicians. These included Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, and Sonny Rollins.
One of Doug's most famous performances was when he was just 22 years old. He played on the 1956 album Saxophone Colossus with the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins. He also played with Max Roach and Tommy Flanagan. This album is still very popular today.
In 1961, when Charles Mingus played the piano instead of his usual bass, he asked Doug to play the bass for him. Doug played on Mingus's albums Oh Yeah and Tonight at Noon.
Doug's Own Albums
Doug Watkins also recorded two albums where he was the band leader. These albums were Watkins at Large (1956) and Soulnik (1960). On Soulnik, Doug showed off another talent. He played the cello, an instrument he had only just started learning a few days before the recording! Herman Wright played the bass on this album.
A Sad Farewell
Sadly, Doug Watkins passed away too soon. He died in a car accident on February 5, 1962. This happened near Holbrook, Arizona. He was on his way to meet drummer Philly Joe Jones for a performance in San Francisco.
Albums by Doug Watkins
Doug Watkins released two albums as the main artist:
- 1956: Watkins at Large (Transition)
- 1960: Soulnik (New Jazz)
