Art Davis (December 5, 1934 – July 29, 2007) 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, 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.^[1]

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. Art Davis was a professor at Orange Coast College.^[2]

Davis is also known for starting a legal case that led to blind auditions for orchestras.^[3]

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, from a heart attack. He was survived by two sons and a daughter.^[4]

Discography

As leader

• 1980: Reemergence (Interplay) with Hilton Ruiz, Greg Bandy
• 1985: Life (Soul Note) with John Hicks, Idris Muhammad, Pharoah Sanders
• 1995: A Time Remembered (Jazz Planet) 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)

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 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 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 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 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)

With Roberto Magris

• Kansas City Outbound (JMood, 2008)

References