Jazz club owner, pianist, and bandleader Doc Watkins is based in San Antonio, TX. He is the creator and co-host of the weekly radio program Live at Jazz, TX, syndicated through Texas Public Radio.
Watkins is the owner and founder of Jazz, TX, a restaurant and jazz club located at the Historic Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, TX. Since 2016, Jazz, TX has hosted the world’s top jazz artists including Kenny Garrett, Bill Charlap, Brian Blade, John Pizzarelli, Chris Potter, Jane Monheit, Herlin Riley, and Kevin Eubanks, to name just a few.
Doc currently performs over 100 shows per year at Jazz, TX with his 11-piece Orchestra.
In 2022, Watkins co-founded TurnTable, a ticketing platform created to support the unique needs of jazz clubs and other cabaret-style venues. Frustrated with the tools available to sell tickets for his own club, Doc created TurnTable to suit the needs of clubs like Jazz, TX. TurnTable is currently the preferred platform for many of the top jazz clubs in the U.S.
Doc was born and raised in Oregon and moved to Austin, TX in 2003, where he earned Master's and Doctoral degrees in music from the University of Texas. In 2006 he relocated to San Antonio and began performing regularly at local venues on the San Antonio Riverwalk. In January 2014, he performed with his trio at New York City's Carnegie Hall.
Watkins has recorded 10 albums as a leader, including a 2022 Orchestral tribute to Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Doc devotes his time and energy toward ever-improving the total guest experience at Jazz, TX. He also works regularly with jazz club owners across the country to help them do the same.