Ken Watters

Biography

Jazz trumpeter Ken Watters crafts neo-bop stylings while incoporating threads of contemporary jazz and world beat. Music is his passion, for he was only a freshman in high school when he made up his mind to become a musician. His grandfather was saxophonist Frank Humphrey, but his father was an aerospace engineer at NASA, so going into music wasn't an obvious thought in the beginning. He cites influences from trumpeters such as Tim Hagans and Woody Shaw, and while studying at North Texas State, he and his trombone playing brother, Harry Watters, collaborated on individual compositions and shows in area clubs. Shortly thereafter, Ken Watters moved onto N.Y.C. to expand his career while Harry headed to the jazz loop of New Orleans. Aside from his writing his own work, he's been featured on various albums for French Caribbean artists and gospel recordings. Just prior to the new millennium, however, saw Watters getting back to basics. Not only did he rejoin his brother for the issue of Brothers (1999) and Brothers II (2001), he tweaked his working band -- David Marlow (piano), Jay Frederick (drums), and Eric Applegate -- for a major label debut with Summit Records. Releasing Southern Exposure in spring 2001, Watters and his bandmates had a bright opportunity to get their modern acoustic jazz to the forefront. The Ken Watters Group was also slated to play the Jazz N' June Festival in Huntsville, AL, as well as headline the W.C. Handy Jazz Festival in nearby Muscle Shoals later that summer. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide