Keepin' It Real

"His playing is sophisticated yet soulful. He’s elegantly slippery as only a player at one with his instrument can be, stretching phrases seamlessly over nearly the entire length of a chorus and interjecting brief figures with just the right squeal to make his point." -- Howard Mandel, Downbeat "We don’t have baseball right now, but Bobby Watson and New Horizon hits it out of the ball park on this fantastic release." -- Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition "Alto saxophonist/composer Bobby Watson debuts a new incarnation of his renowned band Horizon on KEEPIN' IT REAL, furthering a legacy endowed by Watson’s days as one of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and passed on through a lifetime in jazz education." -- Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine "These guys make it sound so easy, but if it were, why isn’t there more music like this?" -- George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly #1 JazzWeek radio chart (2 weeks) *** Alto saxophonist Bobby Watson writes a new chapter of his storied career with KEEPIN' IT REAL. While the album is a continuation of the supple hard-bop sound Watson has practiced throughout the decades, infused with elements of gospel and R&B, it also heralds change as Watson debuts a new edition of his band Horizon. Dubbed New Horizon, this group still features longtime collaborator and Horizon member Curtis Lundy on bass and adds trumpeters Josh Evans and Giveton Gelin, pianist Victor Gould and drummer Victor Jones. This new personnel infuses Watson with renewed vigor and creative energy. Another part of the story of this record is Watson's retirement from a 20+ year collegiate teaching career. It gives Watson, who won the JAZZTIMES critic’s poll as the top alto saxophonist in 2019, his best opportunity in many years to focus exclusively on his own music. Change is an inevitable part of life and Watson embraces it as essential part of creativity. As he explains, KEEPIN' IT REAL is a mantra that he strives to exemplify every time he lifts his alto to his lips.