Julius Watkins

Julius Watkins was virtually the daddy from the jazz France horn. He began playing French horn at age nine, although he caused the Ernie Areas orchestra on trumpet (1943-1946). In the past due ’40s, he had taken some French horn solos on information by Kenny Clarke and Babs Gonzales, and spent 1949 as an associate from the Milt Buckner big music group. After 3 years of research on the Manhattan College of Music, Watkins began showing up on small-group schedules including a set of significant periods led by Thelonious Monk in 1953-1954. He co-led les Jazz Settings with Charlie Rouse in 1956-1959; toured with Quincy Jones’ big music group (1959-1961); did a lot of studio room work (like the Mls Davis-Gil Evans collaborations); and documented with Charles Mingus (in 1965 and 1971), Freddie Hubbard, John Coltrane (the Africa periods), as well as the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, among numerous others.