Representative Albums: "Davis Cup," "Scorpio Rising," "In Walked Thelonious"
Biography
An often remarkable and inventive bebop and hard bop pianist, Walter Davis, Jr. once left the music world to be a tailor, but returned. He's a solid soloist, bandleader and accompanist who's amassed a good body of work, while never becoming a high profile name even within the jazz community. Davis played with Babs Gonzales's Three Bips and a Bop as a teen, then moved from Richmond to New York in the early '50s. He played with Max Roach and Charlie Parker, recording with Roach in 1953. He joined Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1956, and toured the Middle East and South America. He also played in Paris with Donald Byrd in 1958 and with The Jazz Messengers in 1959. After retiring from music for a while to run his tailor shop, Davis returned in the '60s, producing records and writing arrangements for a local New Jersey group. He studied music in India in 1969, and played with Sonny Rollins in the early '70s. Davis had another stint with The Jazz Messengers in 1975, then led his own group in New York. Davis has recorded for Blue Note, Mapleshade, Debut, Denon, Red and for French labels. He's done sessions with Roach, Rollins, Sonny Criss, Jackie McLean, Pierre Michelot, Archie Shepp, Kenny Clarke, Byrd and Blakey among others. Davis currently has some dates available on CD. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Davis was known as a prime interpreter of the music of Bud Powell,[1] but also recorded an album capturing the compositional genius and piano style of Thelonious Monk. Although few of Davis' recordings as a pianist remain in print, he is likely to be periodically rediscovered and long remembered for his strikingly original, adventurous and challenging compositions, several of which served as titles for noteworthy albums by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Combining traditional harmonies with modal patterns and featuring numerous rhythmic shifts along with internal melodic motifs within operatic, aria-like sweeping melodies, Davis's fresh and forward-looking compositions included "Scorpio Rising", "Backgammon", "Uranus", "Gypsy Folk Tales", "Jodi", and "Ronnie Is a Dynamite Lady".
Davis had an occasional role as the piano player on the 1987-88 CBS television comedy Frank's Place, which starred Tim Reid. He also contributed to the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood film Bird.
Davis died in New York on June 2, 1990, from complications of liver and kidney disease. He was 57. He was survived by four daughters, Evin Yager, Alana Davis, Sareenah Davis and Alicia Davis.
Discography
Illumination 1989
Davis Cup (1959)
Night Song (1979)
Blues Walk (1979)
Uranus (1979, Palcoscenico Records)
400 Years Ago Tomorrow (1979)
Live au Dreher (1981)
In Walked Thelonious (1987)
Illumination (1989)
Jazznost: Moscow-Washington Jazz Summit (1990)
Scorpio Rising (1994)
References
^ Goldsher, Alan (2002). Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, p. 94. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. ISBN 0634037935.
The New York Times, June 4, 1990.
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