Bobby Watson Quartet

Bobby Watson sits among the pantheon of present-day jazz greats. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, his career now spans more than four decades. A multi-GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer, Watson trained formally at the University of Miami and then, from 1977-1981, earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, the saxophonist contributed to fourteen Jazz Messengers recordings – more than anyone else in the group’s thirty-five-year (1955-1990) storied history.

An association with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Victor Lewis led Watson to launch the first iteration of Horizon, the highly acclaimed acoustic quintet, modeled in many ways after the Jazz Messengers, but produced with its own distinct and more modern twist. Horizon, now considered one of the preeminent small groups of the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, released several now-classic titles for the Blue Note and Columbia record labels.

As energetic as ever, Watson is continuing his lifelong journey of performing throughout the United States and internationally.

Bobby Watson Website
(Ticket Includes 5% City of Santa Cruz Admission Tax)