Saw the news that Richard Davis passed away yesterday. What an incredible legacy! RIP
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Double Bass RIP Richard Davis
- Thread starter sean peters
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One the all time greats.
He’s blessed us with some incredibly deep and well-played music. I love his approach to the instrument.
He’s blessed us with some incredibly deep and well-played music. I love his approach to the instrument.
I had the incredible good fortune to meet him at the 1974 Monterey Jazz Festival, when I loaned him my double bass. The first think he said to me was,”my wife thanks you for allowing her to have my basses seat for the flight out.”
A wonderfully kind and gracious man, in addition to being an incredible musician.
A wonderfully kind and gracious man, in addition to being an incredible musician.
He was a master…
pdbass did a nice video on him
He lived a long life but it’s still sad.
R.I.P. Mr. Davis
pdbass did a nice video on him
He lived a long life but it’s still sad.
R.I.P. Mr. Davis
- Jan 12, 2004
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- Owner, Stand Up Guy Basses (Repair/Sell/Buy upright basses)
RIP Mr. Davis.
Among his thousands of accomplishments, he was the last musician remaining to have played on ‘Out to Lunch’ by Eric Dolphy.
Among his thousands of accomplishments, he was the last musician remaining to have played on ‘Out to Lunch’ by Eric Dolphy.
He is one of the greats. Here with another great, Elvin Jones.
He was my first teacher. We met in the bottom floor of his brownstone on W 87th St. He loaned me his bass coffin for a tour and steered some gigs my way. He was incredibly successful on every level: personally, financially, and artistically. I once saw him in a week's time record what would become a monster hit for Janis Ian, sub with the NY Phil, and do a hit at the Vanguard with Elvin Jones' band. I know a lot of guys who claim to be able to play all styles of music, but being able to cut the hardest hard core gig with the likes of Elvin's no-prisoners-taken band and Bernstein's orchestra is another level. There are a lot of guys that can play "out" but very few of them can also play completely "inside" like Richard could. I've heard him with Elvin's brother Hank, and he was as smooth and elegant as he was wild and wooly with Elvin. One of his passions was English style horseback riding, and a big reason he left NYC for Madison was to make that easier to indulge. Just a remarkable man and musician.
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I first heard RD with the Jones/Lewis band at the Vanguard in the late 60s. The subtle power of the unamplified bass in the hands of a great player in that situation was something I've never forgotten. It's a sound like no other.
Just saw this on the local news.
I got to study with him briefly his 1st year in Madison.
Humbling indeed - but just an incredible person.
I wish I'd pursued upright, but my path took me in a different direction.
I still have a note he wrote me - about a beer brewed in my home-town !
I got to study with him briefly his 1st year in Madison.
Humbling indeed - but just an incredible person.
I wish I'd pursued upright, but my path took me in a different direction.
I still have a note he wrote me - about a beer brewed in my home-town !
"Muses For Richard Davis" and "Dealin'" are mainstays on my turntable. One trick of his I enjoy using is what I call "parallel unisons", thumbing a note on the g sting and double stopping the same note on the d string with the middle finger and playing lines up and down. Love that guy and his his playing.
I studied with him while in high school which, of course, I did not fully appreciate at the time. Thirty years later that remains a pivotal experience.
He is well remembered.
He is well remembered.
A tragic loss, but certainly a life well lived. His talent was awesome. RIP Mr Davis, and condolences to your friends and family. In an interesting coincidence (and before I learned of his passing), I purchased a copy of Pat Martino's album "Exit" from my local used record store a couple of days ago. Mr Davis was the bassist on the date, paired with Billy Hart. I'm not sure if the group on this record ever performed live, but if so I would loved to have seen them. It goes without saying I adore his bass playing.
Why is it so many of the obits start by mentioning “Astral Weeks”, many in the headline. OK, he did sound great on that album, but how about his jazz recordings? Sheesh.
Mr. Davis played on so many jazz records that it's hard to pick one or two. One of his(I forget the name) has the only bossa nova version of "Giant Steps" that I'm aware of. As an aside, my wife saw a revival concert of Astral Weeks several years ago. Mr. Davis played the first night but was not there the second night. The reason given at the time was somewhat vague, but the speculation was that one night with Mr. Morrison was enough.
Earl
Supporting Member
My first teacher as well and I remember that brownstone. I learned so much from him in a short time. RIP