Art Davis

American double bassist

Art Davis
Birth name	Arthur David Davis
Born	(1934-12-05)December 5, 1934 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	July 29, 2007(2007-07-29) (aged 72)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Double bass

Musical artist

Arthur David Davis (December 5, 1934 – July 29, 2007)^[1] was a double-bassist, known for his work with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner and Max Roach.

Biography

Davis was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States,^[2] where he began studying the piano at the age of five, switched to tuba, and finally to bass while attending high school. He studied at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music but graduated from Hunter College.^[3]

As a New York session musician, he recorded with many jazz and pop musicians and also in symphony orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and John Coltrane among other jazz musicians.^[2] Art Davis was a professor at Orange Coast College.^[4]

Davis is also known for starting a legal case that led to blind auditions for orchestras.^[5]

Davis earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University in 1982. He moved in 1986 to southern California, where he balanced his teaching and practicing of psychology with jazz performances.

Davis died on July 29, 2007, following a heart attack.^[1] He was survived by two sons and a daughter.^[6]

Discography

As leader

Reemergence (Interplay, 1980) - with Hilton Ruiz, Greg Bandy
Life (Soul Note, 1985) - with John Hicks, Idris Muhammad, Pharoah Sanders
A Time Remembered (Jazz Planet, 1995) - with Ravi Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Marvin Smith

As sideman

With Joe Albany

Bird Lives! (Interplay, 1979)

With Gene Ammons

Up Tight! (Prestige, 1961)
Boss Soul! (Prestige, 1961)

With Count Basie

Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)

With Art Blakey

A Jazz Message (Impulse!, 1963)

With John Coltrane

Africa/Brass (Impulse!, 1961)
Olé Coltrane (Impulse!, 1961)
Ascension (Impulse!, 1965)
The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Impulse!, 1965)
Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Impulse!, 2023) recorded in 1961

With Buddy Emmons

Steel Guitar Jazz (Mercury, 1964)

With Curtis Fuller

Cabin in the Sky (Impulse!, 1962)

With Dizzy Gillespie

Gillespiana (Verve, 1960)
Carnegie Hall Concert (Verve, 1961)

With Bunky Green

Healing the Pain (Delos, 1990)

With Al Grey

The Al Grey - Billy Mitchell Sextet (Argo, 1961) with Billy Mitchell

With Eddie Harris

Bossa Nova (Vee-Jay, 1962)

With Freddie Hubbard

The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard (Impulse!, 1960)
Ready for Freddie (Blue Note, 1961)

With Hasaan Ibn Ali

Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album (Omnivore, 1965; released 2021)

With Elvin Jones

Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)
And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)

With Etta Jones

Lonely and Blue (Prestige, 1962)

With Quincy Jones

Golden Boy (Mercury, 1964)

With Clifford Jordan

A Story Tale (Jazzland, 1961) with Sonny Red

With Roland Kirk

We Free Kings (1961)

With Abbey Lincoln

Straight Ahead (Candid, 1961)

With Booker Little

Out Front (Candid, 1961)

With Roberto Magris

Kansas City Outbound (JMood, 2008)

With Lee Morgan

Expoobident (1960)

With Tisziji Munoz

Visiting This Planet (Anami Music, 1980's)
Hearing Voices (Anami Music, 1980's)

With Joe Newman

Joe Newman Quintet at Count Basie's (Mercury, 1961)

With Dizzy Reece

Manhattan Project (1978)

With Max Roach

Max Roach + 4 at Newport (EmArcy, 1958)
Deeds, Not Words (Riverside, 1958)
Award-Winning Drummer (Time, 1958)
The Many Sides of Max (Mercury, 1959)
Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse!, 1961)
It's Time (Impulse!, 1962)
The Max Roach Trio featuring the Legendary Hasaan (Atlantic, 1964)

With Hilton Ruiz

The People's Music – Live at Jazz Unité, vol 1 (1981)
Green Street – Live at Jazz Unité, vol 2 (1981)

With Sal Salvador

Juicy Lucy (Bee Hive, 1978)

With Pharoah Sanders

Rejoice (Theresa, 1981)

With Lalo Schifrin

Lalo = Brilliance (Roulette, 1962)

With Shirley Scott

For Members Only (Impulse!, 1963)

With Jack Teagarden

Think Well of Me (Verve, 1962)

With Clark Terry

Clark Terry Plays the Jazz Version of All American (Moodsville, 1962)

With McCoy Tyner

Inception (1962)

With Leo Wright

Blues Shout (Atlantic, 1960)

References

^ ^a ^b "Obituary: Art Davis". The Guardian. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 637. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
^ Matt Schudel (August 5, 2007). "Jazz Bassist Art Davis, 73; Later Became Psychologist". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
^ Carr, Ian; Digby Fairweather; Brian Priestley (1995). Jazz: The Rough Guide. The Rough Guides. p. 156. ISBN 1-85828-137-7.
^ Jocelyn Y. Stewart (August 5, 2007). "Art Davis, renowned bassist, dies at 73". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
^ "Art Davis, Coltrane's favourite bassist, dies at 73". Cbc.ca. August 4, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2013.