About Jack:

Jack Watson was born in Central Illinois, raised in Central Illinois, and started his professional career in Central Illinois. Originally a clarinetist, Jack was gifted a saxophone by his grandmother in the summer between 8th grade and high school. After playing one note on the horn, Jack knew it was the instrument for him. Jack graduated from Kewanee High School in 2019 and went on to attend Western Illinois University and Black Hawk College, performing in both classical and jazz ensembles. At Black Hawk, Jack would become involved with both the music scene in the Quad Cities and Peoria areas. After his time at Black Hawk, Jack moved to Dekalb, Illinois to attended Northern Illinois University. At Northern, he studied jazz and classical saxophone with Geof Bradfield and Dr. Tom Snydacker alongside composition lessons with Dr. Brian Penkrot. In 2023, Jack was awarded a Student Music Award from Downbeat Magazine in their Jazz Arranging category. Jack recently graduated Northern Illinois University in 2025 with a Bachelor’s in Music Composition. In his spare time away from music, Jack enjoys spending time out in nature and working on his model railroads.

As a performer, Jack has played with individual musicians, chamber groups, and large ensembles. Notably, he has collaborated with singer/songwriter CJ Parker, indie artist Tommy Oeffling, blues rock band The Mamiltons, midwest emo band Frontega, the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra, the Heartland Jazz Orchestra, Vintage Swing Band, Class Act Big Band, Jazz In Progress, the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the DeKalb Municipal Band, and the Fox Valley Concert Band. Jack has also been a featured soloist/performer with the NIU Jazz Ensemble, the NIU Youth Symphony, the Knox College Jazz Ensemble, and the United High School Jazz Band.

As a composer/arranger, Jack has written for large ensembles and small groups. Jack’s main focus is big band jazz, being commissioned by local professional, college, and high school groups frequently for arrangements and original works. However, Jack also has experience writing in the classical genre. His classical works have been performed by groups like the Flannau Duo, the AndPlay Duo, and the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra. Jack also composes for pop and rock groups, writing horn lines for The Mamilton’s EP “Weary Traveller” and the CJ Parker album “I”.

As an educator, Jack has taught private lessons on saxophone and clarinet since 2018. His primary teaching philosophy is learning how to play an instrument should be fun and not stressful. Jack’s main goal as an educator is to inspire his students to make the music they want and have a good time doing it. His previous students have earned top rankings at solo and ensemble competitions and have gone on to attend district and state festivals.