David Leshare Watson (The Doctor Of Bebop)

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David grew up Philadelphia PA, where his musical career started in elementary school singing in talent shows and school concerts.

David was eight year old when he heard Ella Fitzgerald, and what he heard changed his life forever. In school and talent shows about the city, David sang the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Cole and Cab Callaway, The Mills Brothers and The Ink Spots.

Later, at about ten years old, David started developing the art of scatting, which he had heard listening to Ella, Eddie Jefferson, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Dizzy, Betty Carter and King Pleasure.  

Always following the jazz scene, David later in life landed a job as a bartender for four years at the World Class Jazz club, “The Showboat Jazz Theater” which was a god sent gift. There he taught himself to play drums and was encouraged by bassist Walter Booker, who was playing with Sonny Rollins and Cannonball, to pursue his love for singing.

Listening to the great singers Frank Sinatra, Nate “King” Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure and Betty Carter, he pulled a little of each into his singing. Also listening to Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Lester Young, Ben Webster, John Coltrane he learned to phrase, create, and color.

On the this page you will find a small part of David’s over sixty years history of playing and singing Jazz, also a few of the musicians he have played with. Listed also are some of the festival, wineries, and resorts he has played at, TV shows he’s appeared on, and reviews about David.