Doug Watkins

A very in-demand bassist for recording sessions (especially when <a href="spotify:artist:0M1UOBJZ9tcKJbrbnVlHZG">Paul Chambers</a>, his cousin by marriage, was not available), Doug Watkins was a basic soloist but a superb accompanist. After gaining experience as one of many very talented Detroit jazzmen in the local scene, touring with <a href="spotify:artist:4aEpM8RuVFDhH7ry8TUn4M">James Moody</a> (1953) and playing with <a href="spotify:artist:7Bpj43yWq3DUaMlNmTWYXH">Barry Harris Trio</a>, Watkins settled in New York in 1954. He was a member of the original version of the Jazz Messengers from 1955-1956, spent a year with <a href="spotify:artist:4PNIQCDBeVCSSqKUhvkP8Y">Horace Silver Quintet</a>, and then freelanced with a who's who of hard bop, including <a href="spotify:artist:1VEzN9lxvG6KPR3QQGsebR">Sonny Rollins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1lB7KbOr9xdPK1CuasxmeA">Jackie McLean</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ZUZYvTkSr7kJQyAXVpqaL">Donald Byrd</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:38C3okxv3fyyOIQUVPCdGX">Lee Morgan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:338mC0yGyX0C9of8QMJ5hK">Gene Ammons</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1sdyFmN4bVOcuFDpTVsxBB">Kenny Burrell</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6G4hVmXKJ9NW5JecncK89f">Phil Woods</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5cbutZUQE7SUCA6MsEMbBv">Hank Mobley</a>, among many others. He was <a href="spotify:artist:1W8TbFzNS15VwsempfY12H">Charles Mingus</a>' choice to play bass in his 1961 group when <a href="spotify:artist:1W8TbFzNS15VwsempfY12H">Mingus</a> was temporarily specializing on piano. Tragically, a car accident ended his life at age 27. Doug Watkins led a session apiece for Transition (1960) and New Jazz (1960), playing some cello on the latter. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi