Finally... by Paul Rudy published on 2011-04-05T15:54:41Z Bobby Watson, Alto Sax Steven Davis and the UMKC Wind Symphony, CBDNA, March 26, 2009 Finally… was the subject header on the email from Bobby Watson that included, as an attachment, the theme for the piece you are about to hear. The plot was hatched between Steve Davis, Joe Parisi, Bobby and I at Harlings one night while listening to the Clint Ashlock Big Band in Kansas City. There may have been a few drinks involved…I don’t remember… but I do remember agreeing to this piece only under the condition that Bobby make the theme. I wanted to feature Bobby in a way that involved him from the get-go. And so, the genesis of Finally… is from the man himself-a cat whose playing blew me away from the first time I heard him…it still makes my heart pound. He is simply one of the great masters. I’ve seen him help greenhorns, hangin on for dear life, find things they didn’t know they had, and take the rest of us with them. An evening with Bobby is a bit like an opera or a tie ball game with no time left and the field goal kicker in place. There is a dramatic flow that peaks way beyond what you could have imagined when it all started. That’s a bit of what I’ve done here: ease you into his sound, give him space to roam and then put him out in front of this “big band” for a wild ride. Genre Concert