Julius Watkins, October 10, 1921 – April 4 1977 was an American jazz musician and one of the earliest jazz French horn players. In 1960 and 1961, he won the Down Beat critics’ poll for “miscellaneous instruments” with French Horn named as the instrument. Watkins was born near Detroit, Michigan. When he was nine years of age, he began playing French horn. He had previously played the trumpet in the Ernie Fields Orchestra’s mid-1940s, making it the most well-known jazz instrument. He had already played solos for Babs Gonzales and Kenny Clarke in the French horn by the late 1940s. Watkins spent three years studying at the Manhattan School of Music after he moved to New York City. Watkins began playing in small-group jazz sessions. He was also featured on two Thelonious monk led sessions. Watkins recorded with many jazz legends including John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard as well as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Gil Evans. He also recorded with Clark Terry, Johnny Griffin and the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra. He was a co-leader of Les Jazz Modes, from 1956 to 1959. He also toured with Quincy Jones’ band from 1959 through 1961. At 55, he died in Short Hills (New Jersey). An annual Julius Watkins Jazz Horn Festival was held every year in New York from 1994 to 1998. It began at the Knitting Factory (NY Times, January 27, 1994), “A One-Night French Horn Festival”). This event honored his legacy. A second “Julius Watkins Festival”, held in October 2009 at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, Washington, was held after an 11-year hiatus. The Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia hosted the 7th Julius Watkins Jazz Horn Festival on September 29, 2012. From Wikipedia
