Richard Davis (bassist)
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Richard Davis (April 15, 1930 – September 6, 2023) was an American jazz bassist. Among his best-known contributions to the albums of others are
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...
's ''
Out to Lunch! ''Out to Lunch!'' is a 1964 album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy. His only recording on Blue Note as a leader, it was issued as BLP 4163 and BST 84163. Featuring Dolphy in a quintet with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibraphonist Bo ...
'', Andrew Hill's '' Point of Departure'', and
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
's '' Astral Weeks'', of which critic
Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biogra ...
wrote (in ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll''), "Richard Davis provided the greatest bass ever heard on a rock album."


Early life

Davis was born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois, on April 15, 1930. His mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by Robert and Elmora Johnson. Davis gravitated towards playing the bass, and began his musical career singing bass in his family's vocal trio. He studied double bass in high school under Walter Dyett, and was a member of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Chicago, playing in the orchestra's first performance at Chicago's Orchestra Hall on November 14, 1947. After high school, he studied double bass with Rudolf Fahsbender of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra while attending VanderCook College of Music.


Career

After college, Davis performed in dance bands. In the early 1950s, Richard Davis met and played with Sonny Blount (globally celebrated later as the other-worldly orchestral revolutionary Sun Ra) and spent a year with the artistically and commercially successful pianist
Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...
’s trio. Ahmad Jamal boosted Davis’ career from the start. The connections he made led him to pianist Don Shirley. In 1954, he and Shirley moved to New York City and performed together until 1956, when Davis began playing with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. In 1957, he became part of
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
's rhythm section, touring and recording with her until 1960. During the 1960s, Davis was in demand in a variety of musical circles. He worked with many of the small jazz groups of the time, including those led by
Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...
, Jaki Byard,
Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...
, Andrew Hill,
Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...
, and
Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, often described as the most successful non-Latino Latin music (genre), Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, especially small group mod ...
. From 1966 to 1972, he was a member of The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. He has also played with Don Sebesky,
Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...
,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
,
Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...
,
Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...
and
Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...
. Davis became a prolific contributor to numerous groundbreaking jazz projects. Notably, he played on Eric Dolphy’s avant-garde masterpiece ''Out to Lunch!'' with its bold shapes and structures, and on teenage drums prodigy Tony Williams’ album debut, LifeTime. Eric Dolphy assisted Davis in his ability to expand his versatility in relation to playing jazz music. Although Dolphy's music was different from the one he had previously been working on with Sarah Vaughan he knew he was in the right place. In 1964 Davis partnered with Andrew Hill’s rhythmically intricate ''Point of Departure.'' As Richard Davis continued developing he took a lot of inspiration from Mingus . In 1968 with Van Morrison’s ''Astral Weeks'', Davis served as the de facto musical director, leading the improvisational ensemble through the album’s creation. Producer Lewis Merenstein described Davis as “the soul of the album.” His bass lines on ''Astral Weeks'' were lauded by critics for their emotional depth, propelling the album to its status as a classic. Davis recorded with pop and rock musicians in the 1970s, appearing on
Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...
's ''
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Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
's '' Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.'' and '' Born to Run''. During his career he performed classical music with conductors
Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...
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Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
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Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...
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Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British-born American conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. H ...
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Gunther Schuller Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician. Biography and works Early years Schuller was born in Queens, New York City ...
.


Career highlights and collaborations

In 1964 Richard Davis featured on Tony Williams’s debut album ''Life Time'', showcasing his innovative approach. He played on Frank Sinatra’s ''Watertown'' (1969), Paul Simon’s ''Something So Right'' (1973), and on several classic tracks from 1975, including Bruce Springsteen’s ''Meeting Across the River'', Laura Nyro’s ''Smile'', and Janis Ian’s ''At Seventeen''. Beyond his contributions to pop and rock, Davis was a founding member and regular participant in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra from 1966 to 1972. He performed as part of the New York Bass Violin Choir led by Bill Lee. In the late 1980s he established the Madison chapter of the Institute for the Healing of Racism and held meetings at his home. In the 1990s he also participated in a series of post bop trio recordings with the pianist John Hicks and the drummer Tatsuya Nakamura. In May 2000 he released a CD that was recorded in Japan called The Bassist which paid homage to Diversity (King Records). His second CD with King Records ''So In Love'' was also later released. Davis always continued to play and record semi-regularly with him performing with The Bassist which paid homage to Diversity (Palmetto) in 2001. And on March 2009 he participated at the Anderson’s Chicago club, the Velvet Lounge, from March 18–22 celebrating legend Fred Anderson turning 80 on March 22.


Teaching

In 1977, Davis accepted a teaching position as Professor of Bass (European Classical and Jazz), Jazz History and combo improvisation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Davis had a desire to mentor and inspire future generations. Richard Davis points to a number of older bassists as influencing his understanding of the bass. He says, “I listened to Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, all those old guys, Milton Hinton. I wanted to find out what they were doing. I didn't want to play like them, but that's where it came from. Along with the fact that he was ready to ease the pressures of being a freelance musician. His nearly 40-year tenure at the university emphasized classical bass, jazz history, and improvisation. In 1993 Davis founded the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists to help support young artists develop music. In 1998, he created the Retention Action Project (R.A.P.) focused on multicultural differences. Davis also initiated a chapter of the "Institute for the Healing of Racism" in Madison to further diversity awareness efforts. He retired from the university in 2016.


Death

Davis died on September 6, 2023, after two years in hospice care, at the age of 93.


Honors

Over his lifetime, Davis received numerous awards based on his playing and commitment towards empowering future generations. He was named Best Bassist by ''DownBeat'' magazine’s International Critics’ Poll from 1967-1974. He won the Hilldale Award for distinguished teaching presented to him by Chancellor Donna Shalala. In 1998 he got an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Edgewood College, Madison.  In 2000 he received the Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Award from the Rotary Club Of Madison.


Awards and honors

* Best Bassist, ''
Downbeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...
'' International Critics' Poll (1967–74) * NEA Jazz Master (2014)


Discography

* '' Heavy Sounds'' (Impulse!, 1967) with
Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...
* '' Muses for Richard Davis'' (MPS, 1969) * '' The Philosophy of the Spiritual'' (Cobblestone, 1971) * '' Epistrophy & Now's the Time'' (Muse, 1972) * '' Dealin''' (Muse, 1973) * '' As One'' (Muse, 1976) * '' Fancy Free'' (Galaxy, 1977) * '' Divine Gemini'' (SteepleChase, 1978) with Walt Dickerson * ''
Harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...
'' (Muse, 1977
979 Year 979 (Roman numerals, CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. It was the 979th year of the Common Era and the Anno Domini designation, the 979th year of the 1st millennium, the 79th year of the 10th century, ...
* '' Way Out West'' (Muse, 1977
980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-Germa ...
* '' Tenderness'' (SteepleChase, 1977 985 with Walt Dickerson * '' Persia My Dear'' (DIW, 1987) * '' Body and Soul'' (Enja, 1989
991 Year 991 (Roman numerals, CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events * March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Peace and Truce of God, Truce of God, between Æthelred the Unready and Richard I o ...
with
Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...
* '' The Bassist: Homage to Diversity'' (Palmetto, 2001)


References


External links


Official site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Richard 1930 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American double-bassists American classical double-bassists American jazz double-bassists American male jazz musicians Classical musicians from New York (state) Classical musicians from Wisconsin Cobblestone Records artists Creative Construction Company members Galaxy Records artists Hard bop double-bassists Impulse! Records artists Jazz fusion double-bassists Jazz musicians from New York (state) Mainstream jazz double-bassists American male double-bassists Mingus Dynasty (band) members Muse Records artists Musicians from Madison, Wisconsin Musicians from New York City Orchestra U.S.A. members Palmetto Records artists Post-bop double-bassists The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra members University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty NEA Jazz Masters