Brilliant alto player from Kansas, renowned for his full-bodied, instantly recognizable sound. Bobby Watson played in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and 29th Street Saxophone Quartet.

‘Few contemporary saxophonists are more instantly recognizable that the brilliant Kansan’, says the authoritative Penguin Guide to Jazz about Bobby Watson. His album Love Remains received a rare five star review in that same guide. The American alto saxophonist is blessed with a full-bodied tone in both ballads and lightning fast bop pieces. His compositions are firmly planted in the jazz tradition and at the same time influenced by Motown, blues and Afro-American culture. For example, he paid tribute to Martin Luther King with his recent I Have a Dream Project.

Bobby Watson made name as the musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He has appeared on the Bimhuis stage several times since the 1980s with the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet. No he will introduce his own quartet here.

‘Equally adept in various facets of the jazz mainstream—from bebop to innovative musical languages—Watson commands a formidable technique. He also conveys a palpable sense of joy in practically everything he plays’ (Chicago Tribune).

Bobby Watson - altsax Richard Johnson- piano Curtis Lundy - bas