Art Davis

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

As a busy New York session musician, he recorded with many pop artists and also worked in classical symphony orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Art Davis was a professor at Orange Coast College.

Davis is also known for launching a legal case that led to the current system of blind auditions for orchestras.

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.

As leader

As sideman

With Joe Albany

With Gene Ammons

With Robert Stewart

With Count Basie

With Art Blakey

With John Coltrane

With Buddy Emmons

With Curtis Fuller

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Al Grey

With Eddie Harris

With Freddie Hubbard

With Elvin Jones

With Etta Jones

With Clifford Jordan

With Roland Kirk

With Abbey Lincoln

With Booker Little

With Lee Morgan

With Tisziji Munoz

With Joe Newman

With Dizzy Reece

With Max Roach

With Hilton Ruiz

With Sal Salvador

With Pharoah Sanders

With Lalo Schifrin

With Shirley Scott

With Clark Terry

With McCoy Tyner

With Leo Wright

With Roberto Magris