Art Davis

Art Davis (December 5 1934 - July 29 2007) was a double-bassist, best known for his work with jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach. Performing with bassist Reggie Workman in Coltrane's group, Davis pioneered the use of two basses in a jazz combo setting. [cite book
last = Walton
first = Ortiz
authorlink = Ortiz Walton
title = Music: Black, White & Blue: A Sociological Survey of the Use and Misuse of Afro-American Music
publisher = William Morrow
year = 1972
isbn = 0688050255 ]

Davis was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he began studying the piano at the age of 5, switched to tuba, and finally to bass while attending high school. He studied at Juilliard but graduated from Hunter College [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/04/AR2007080401372.html Washington Post] ]

As a busy New York session musician, he recorded with many pop artists and has also worked in classical symphony orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Art Davis was a professor at Orange Coast College. [cite book
last = Carr
first = Ian
authorlink = Ian Carr
coauthors = Digby Fairweather, Brian Priestley
title = Jazz: The Rough Guide
publisher = The Rough Guides
year = 1995
pages = p. 156
month =
isbn = 1-8582-8137-7 ]

Davis is also know for launching a legal case which led to the current system of blind auditions for orchestras [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/04/america/NA-GEN-US-Obit-Davis.php IHT.com] ]

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

Davis died on July 29 2007 from a heart attack. He was survived by two sons and a daughter. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/08/04/art-davis-obit.html?ref=rss Obituary] ]

Discography

*"Life" (Soul Note Records, 1985)
*"A Time Remembered" (Jazz Planet, 1996)
*"Reemergence" (Interplay Records IP 7728) 1980

External links

* [http://www.artdavis.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Davis Art Davis Discography at Jazz Discography]

References