International Archives For The Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The Jazz Organ Scene USA

Bobby Watley

Bobby, born in Tennessee and raised in Ohio, was a jazz/funk organist, living in Indianapolis, IN. He started playing drums at 15, and later switched to the Hammond B-3 after backing such jazz luminaries as Lonnie Smith.

He founded the group Funk Inc. in 1969 together with Eugene Barr, Steve Weakley, Jimmy Munford and Cecil Hunt. They disbanded in 1976. The band fused funky R& with high-intensity jazz improvisation. Bobby was considered an early influence on acid jazz, a musical genre born in the mid-1980s that fused jazz, soul, funk, disco and hip hop. They called him the father of acid jazz.

Bobby moved to Ventura County in 1999 to be near his family. He played regularly in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Barbara and what was then The Sidecar Restaurant in Ventura. Bobby died in 2015.

Funk Inc. Prestige PRST10031 recorded 1971 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Bobby Watley, organ Eugene Barr, tenor sax Steve Weakley, guitar Jimmy Munford, drums Cecil Hunt, congas
Chicken Lickin' Prestige PRST10043 recorded March 1972 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Eugene Barr, tenor sax Steve Weakley, guitar Bobby Watley, organ Jimmy Munford, drums Cecil Hunt, congas
Hanging Out Prestige PRST10059 recorded December 1972 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Bobby Watley, organ, vocals Eugene Barr, tenor sax Steve Weakley, guitar Jimmy Munford, drums Cecil Hunt, congas
Superfunk Prestige P10071 recorded 1973 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Bobby Watley, organ, vocals Gene Barr, tenor sax Jackie Kelso, tenor sax, baritone sax George Bohanon, trombone Allen De Rienzo, trumpet Ollie Mitchell, trumpet Don Peake, guitar Steve Weakley, guitar Johnny Watson, bass Jimmy Munford, drums Cecil Hunt, congas Jimmy Munford, vocals
The Best Of Funk Inc. BGP Records BGP 1011 compilation	Bobby Watley, organ, vocals Eugene Barr, tenor sax Steve Weakley, guitar Jimmy Munford, drums Cecil Hunt, congas
Urban Renewal Prestige PRCD-11001-2 recorded October/November 1995 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Bobby Watley, organ, vocals Teddy Patterson, alto sax, tenor sax Doug Swanigan, guitar, synthesizer Phil Brines, drums, percussion Cecil Hunt, congas, percussion The Naptones, vocals
Wildflowers Now-Again Records NA5014-2	Connie Price, vibes, drums James King, sax David Ralicke, sax, trombone Tracy Wannomae, sax, bass clarinet, harmonica Todd M. Simon, trumpet "Hoagie" Haven, flugelhorn Willie Lee, guitar, keyboards Leo Price, guitar Dan Ubick, guitar, sitar Jan Weissenfeldt, guitar Dan Hastie, keyboards Dwayne Kelly, keyboards, melodica Jeremy Ruzumna, keyboards Bobby Watley, organ Dave Cooley, bass harmonica David Wilder, bass Malcolm Catto, drums Pete McNeal, drums Davey Chegwidden, percussion Leslie Smith, vocals Lester Abrams, vocals
Wake Up And Worry Delta Groove Music DGPCD109 recorded in North Hollywood, CA/USA	Mitch Kashmar, harmonica, percussion, vocals Jimmy Calire, baritone sax, piano Alastair Greene, guitar John Marx, guitar Junior Watson, guitar Rusty Zinn, guitar Fred Kaplan, Hammond organ, piano Bobby Watley, Hammond organ, vocals Randy Chortkoff, harmonica, vocals Rick Reed, bass Richard Innes, drums

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