Eric Watson (musician)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Eric Watson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|July 5, 1955}}

| birth_place = Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S.

| genre = Jazz

| instrument = Piano

| label = ACT Music

}}

Eric Watson (born July 5, 1955) is an American jazz pianist.

Early life and education

Watson was born in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He began playing piano as a child and performed in rock bands in Massachusetts.{{cite news |last1=Bessières |first1=Vincent |date=October 2004 |title=Jazzmen de notre temps |language=French |publisher=Philharmonie de Paris |url=http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/masc/?INSTANCE=CITEMUSIQUE&URL=/mediacomposite/CMDO/CMDO000020000/CMDO000021000/CMDO000021000_0856/ |url-status=dead |accessdate=July 7, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707091657/http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/masc/?INSTANCE=CITEMUSIQUE&URL=%2Fmediacomposite%2FCMDO%2FCMDO000020000%2FCMDO000021000%2FCMDO000021000_0856%2F |archivedate=July 7, 2015 |df=mdy}} He studied classical music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio.{{cite web |title=Eric Watson Biography |url=https://www.actmusic.com/en/Artists/Eric-Watson/Biografie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408115744/https://www.actmusic.com/en/Artists/Eric-Watson/Biografie |archive-date=April 8, 2019 |accessdate=July 6, 2015 |publisher=ACT Music}}{{cite news |last1=Zwerin |first1=Mike |date=February 1, 1996 |title=Eric Watson, a 'Recovering Classical Pianist' |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/style/01iht-watson.t.html |accessdate=July 6, 2015}}

Career

After graduating from college in 1978, Watson moved to Paris, where he performed jazz and classical music and worked as an accompanist for a dance group.{{Cite news |last=Zwerin |first=Mike |date=1996-02-01 |title=Eric Watson, a 'Recovering Classical Pianist' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/style/IHT-eric-watson-a-recovering-classical-pianist.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |issn=0362-4331}} is signed to a long-term recording contract with ACT Music. He has worked with double bass player John Lindberg, drummer Ed Thigpen,{{cite web|title =Live au Petit Faucheux: Review |first=Alain|last=Drouot |publisher=Allmusic| url =http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-au-petit-faucheux-r635382/review |accessdate =December 4, 2010}} and Steve Lacy.{{cite web|title =Smetana: Les Deux Quatuors/Huit Polkas: Review |first=Michael|last=Nastos |publisher=Allmusic| url =http://www.allmusic.com/album/smetana-les-deux-quatuorshuit-polkas-r167607/review |accessdate =December 4, 2010}}