Reviews

Trombonist Reggie Watkins has learned lessons about music and life in the business in his five years with always-on-the-road trumpet star Maynard Ferguson.

His arrangements are obviously shaped by the high energy that is always part of a Ferguson ensemble. And life with the Big Bop Nouveau band has taught him he is "cut out to live the life of a musician," as he puts it.

"It's just like any other job," he says about a lifestyle that is focused on the road. "When you're a lawyer, you know you get up at 7 and put on a suit. When you're in a band, you get up later - and stay up later."

Members of Keokuk High School's 17-member Jazz Band I were the first students in town to hear and rehearse with professional jazz trombonist Reggie Watkins.

Tuesday night, the band and Watkins, newly arrived from Monday's gig in Wisconsin, ripped through a ballad, “Nancy,” upbeat “Blue Cellophane” and several other songs, playing together for the first time in anticipation of Thursday's annual Jazz and Chili.

Internationally acclaimed jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson's targeted poaching of talent from the Pittsburgh area has had a profound impact on the young jazz scene around town. Much the way that earlier big-name players and high-profile local clubs circulated musical blood in and out of Pittsburgh, Ferguson has taken musicians such as drummer Dave Throckmorton and bassist Paul Thompson (of Beam and Thoth Trio, amongst others) and bassist Nathan Peck (of Pittsburgh's Peck jazz family), and given them immeasurable experience, which the musicians have faithfully brought back to the 'Burgh.

Last Sunday was Maynard Ferguson's annual appearance at a local high school. I went last year, and again this year. It was a great show as usual, and I can't say enough positive things about Reggie Watkins. Reggie Watkins has a band of his own, the A-list, and is from Pittsburgh, so I suppose there is the possibility of catching his band live in the 'Burgh... I can't find much on the Web though, except some year or so old reviews.

Taken from Library Tavern.

It was a pleasure to hear and review this fine freshman production effort by virtuoso trombonist Reggie Watkins, a musician with a full arsenal of tools at his disposal: an extensive (but not overly used) range, beautiful tone, terrific melodic concepts and excellent compositional and arranging chops. Even more impressive is his ability to compile a diverse and compelling set of works, produced on the fly over a short 3 day recording schedule, made even more challenging by the level of difficulty of these works.