1955 - March 20

Julius Watkins Sextet – March 20 1955 

 

Michael Cuscuna: Julius Watkins Volume 1 & 2 1998 CD Reissue Liner Notes 

PRIOR TO THESE Blue Note sessions, Julius Watkins's first jazz exposure came from a Thelonious Monk quintet session for Prestige that included Sonny Rollins and introduced "Friday The 13th," "Think Of One" and "Let's Call This" to the world and an Oscar Pettiford sextet date for Debut. 

As these sessions prove, Watkins had extraordinary facility and the imaginative mind of a jazz improviser. This music is pure bop with no concessions to the technical difficulty in adapting French horn to the form. 

These recordings came at the end of the 10-inch era and, if they had any chance of selling, the new 12-inch format took care of that. Julius Watkins persevered and formed The Jazz Modes in 1957 with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse (they'd worked together in Pettiford's sextet.) The group lasted for three years and five albums (on Dawn and Atlantic) with some success. "Linda Delia" and "Garden Delights" from these sessions found their way into the Jazz Modes repertoire. 

Photo by Francis Wolff

But Watkins was becoming more and more in demand in studios, Broadway pits and the big bands of Pettiford, Pete Rugolo, Johnny Richards, George Shearing and later Charles Mingus. His technique and jazz ability made him doubly valuable on large-scale jazz recordings like Miles Davis's Porgy And Bess, Randy Weston's Uhuru Africa, John Coltrane's Africa Brass and countless sessions by Gil Evans, Oliver Nelson, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Milt Jackson and so many others. 

Watkins never realized his goal to bring his instrument into the jazz mainstream. But his efforts have been carried on by the likes of John Clark, Tom Varner, Alex Brofsky and Vincent Chauncey. And the music he made under his own leadership and with so many giants is a testament to his varied and ubiquitous career. 

Down Beat 4 April 1956 Volume 23 Issue 7 

French hornist Julius Watkins heads Hank Mobley, tenor; Perry Lopez, guitar; Art Blakey, drums; Duke Jordan, piano, and Oscar Pettiford, drums. Julius wrote the first three agreeable originals while B and B is by Benny Harris and Bud Powell while the excellent Jor-Du, which several modern jazzmen regard as a standard, is Jordan’s. 

Photo by Francis Wolff

Everyone solos well on this date, even Lopez who was handicapped on the session because of an injured hand. Mobley’s full-toned horn has rarely sounded better on record, and Jordan indicates again how underrated a jazz artist he is. Pettiford and Blakey are forcefully solid in the rhythm section. Oscar also contributes some fine solo work. Julius plays with swinging flexibility and generally imaginative conception. The ensemble passages are well integrated. The set is recommended. Very well recorded. (Blue Note LP 5064) 

Session Information 

Julius Watkins, French horn; Hank Mobley, tenor sax; Duke Jordan, piano; Perry Lopez, guitar; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Art Blakey, drums 

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 20, 1955 

 

tk.4, B And B  

tk.6, Garden Delights 

tk.11, Jordu (as Jor-du) 

tk.13, Julie Ann 

tk.15, Sparkling Burgundy 

All selections released as Blue Note BLP 5064