New Jazz French Horn Project Pays Tribute to Julius Watkins

Released on October 10, exactly one hundred years after the birth of Julius Watkins (Detroit, October 10, 1921 – Short Hills, April 4, 1977), Julius Rides Again is the title of the new recording project by Giovanni Hoffer and Pau Moltó Biosca, with the intention of paying due homage to the man who is considered to all intents and purposes the “father” of the jazz horn.

Julius Watkins chose to explore the technical and interpretative possibilities of the French horn in jazz, performing with names such as Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Quincy Jones. Watkins’ musical legacy has enabled subsequent generations to discover the versatility of the French horn, an instrument that is particularly well suited to improvisation and the sounds of jazz music.

Julius Rides Again was created as part of the already famous French Horn Jazz Project, of which Pau Moltó Biosca – a highly appreciated Spanish horn player – is the founder, and which here benefits from the inspired collaboration of Giovanni Hoffer – a jazz horn pioneer in Italy and an international reference figure.

The CD consists of seven pieces from the repertoire of Julius Watkins, a celebrated virtuoso of the instrument, and includes several themes by Watkins himself. In addition, to underline the absolute uniqueness of the project, there are also two original pieces specially written by Giovanni Hoffer and Pau Moltó Biosca, in a successful mixture of musical styles thanks to the valuable work of arrangement conducted by Massimo Morganti. Resulting from the collaboration of the well-known record labels Notami
Jazz (Italy) and Sedajazz Records (Spain), Julius Rides Again was recorded in Valencia and features some of the greatest musicians of the international jazz scene – such as David Pastor, Kontxi Lorente, Massimo Morganti, Ramón Ángel, Jordi Gaspar.

TRACKLIST:
Sparkling Burgundy (Julius Watkins)
Oscar Rides Again (Oscar Pettiford)
Linda Delia (George Butcher)
Bohemia (Julius Watkins)
B and B (Bennie Harris)
Sleeping Cats (Pau Moltò)
Jordu (Duke Jordan)
Leete (Julius Watkins)
Two Brothers (Giovanni Hoffer)

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