Cleveland Watkiss is a versatile English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 singer who performs in a variety of musical genres, including jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, reggae

Reggae

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

, rock music

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 and drum and bass

Drum and bass

Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...

. Watkiss also performs on piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 and guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

.

Life

His extensive career launched in the 1970s while performing in local reggae and funk music bands, with Watkiss forming his own band known as Alumni in 1981. In 1982 he joined Simon Purcell's Jazz Train, and shortly after began touring with Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler

Kenny Wheeler

Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s....

 and John Taylor

John Taylor (jazz)

John Taylor is a British jazz pianist; he has occasionally performed on the organ and the synthesiser. He is one of Europe's most celebrated jazz pianists and composers.-Performing career:...

. He is probably most remembered for being the co-founder of the Jazz Warriors

Jazz Warriors

The Jazz Warriors were an all-black London-based group of jazz musicians that made their debut in 1986. The idea for the band came from the Abibi Jazz Arts - a London organization that promoted black music and black culture - in 1985...

 along with Courtney Pine

Courtney Pine

Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...

 in 1985, an outfit which was awarded the Best Band Award by The Wire/Guardian in 1987. Additionally, Watkiss has performed throughout his career frequently with the London Community Gospel Choir

London Community Gospel Choir

The London Community Gospel Choir is a successful gospel choir located in the United Kingdom.-History:The London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1982 by the Reverend Bazil Meade with the assistance of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis.Initially the idea was for a single concert...

 and has done stints with The Who

The Who

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

 and side projects with Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...

. In the drum and bass genre he formed Project 23 with Marque Gilmore and DJ Le Rouge. He was also featured on the track "Time" from Makoto (artist)

Makoto (artist)

, professionally known as , is a Japanese drum and bass musician, DJ and actor. Among other distinctives of Makoto's musical style, a heavy influence of 1970s-era soul, funk and jazz fusion can be heard throughout the vast majority of his repertoire.-Career:Inspired by LTJ Bukem's Logical...

's first album, "Human Elements".

In 2010, he won a London Awards for Art and Performance

London Awards for Art and Performance

The London Awards for Art and Performance is awarded in 11 different art categories, by the London Festival Fringe.It is awarded each year, at a central London venue, and is presented to artists and performers who have made an outstanding contribution to their art form.-Awards:- External links :* **...

.

Discography

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• Watkiss, Cleveland (1991). Blessing in Disguise. Polydor

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