John Davis (blues musician)

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John Davis (born December 7, 1913 in Hattiesburg , Mississippi , † October 12, 1985 in Chicago , Illinois ), also known as Blind John Davis , was an American blues pianist and singer.

Childhood and youth

When Davis was three years old, his family moved to Chicago from the southern United States. During Prohibition , his father made money illegally serving alcohol. At the age of nine, Davis went blind from an infection - he was kicked in a rusty nail. At 14 he learned to play the piano in his father's pubs. He had some success in the speakeasys in and around Chicago, including with his bands "Johnny Lee's Music Masters" and "Johnny Davis Rhythm Boys".

Studio musicians and more

Around 1937 Davis was hired by Lester Melrose's "Wabash Music Company" as a resident pianist. By 1942 he played the piano for over 100 recordings, including as accompaniment to Tampa Red , Merline Johnson , Lonnie Johnson , Big Bill Broonzy , Memphis Minnie , Doctor Clayton and Sonny Boy Williamson I. In 1938 he made recordings with George Barnes , one of the first who played the electric guitar.

During the Second World War Davis toured with his group "Johnny Davis Rhythm Boys" in the western and midwestern states. He founded the "John Davis Trio" with George Barnes (guitar) and Ransom Knowling (double bass), which made recordings in 1949 and 1951, but then dissolved. Davis returned to Chicago solo, occasionally with Judge Riley (drums).

In 1952 Davis and Big Bill Broonzy were among the first blues musicians to perform and record in Europe. Davis then played in Chicago clubs again and was largely forgotten outside of town.

Blow of fate and final rediscovery

In 1955 his house burned down and a few days later his wife, to whom he had been married since 1938, died. In 1958 and 1959 he was accepted for the Library of Congress. In 1964 he performed at the Newport Folk Festival .

From 1973 Davis was regularly traveling in Europe and increasingly appeared at festivals in America. In the 1970s, he took care of his friend Tampa Red, who lived in a home in Chicago.

Blind John Davis died in Chicago in 1985, where he had lived most of his life - he was on his way to the airport to go to a festival in Texas when he died, likely of a heart attack.

Style and Influences

In contrast to many of his piano-playing contemporaries such as Memphis Slim , Sunnyland Slim or the somewhat older Roosevelt Sykes, Davis was not socialized in the rural south, but in urban Chicago. This city - like New Orleans - had a very strong jazz tradition. This tradition in Chicago - in contrast to New Orleans - was also very much influenced by white musicians of Eastern European and German origins. A good example of the mutual influence are the musicians John Davis and the Russian- born Art Hodes . Because of this variety of styles, Davis was predestined to adequately accompany the stylistically different blues musicians and to be able to adjust to them within a short time. Perhaps this talent prevented his own successful record career, as Davis was valued by the record company owners as a sideman more valuable than a solo artist. In addition to blues and boogie woogie , his live program also included standards such as B. Bye bye blackbird or Georgia .

Web links

Source

  1. "One of the most characteristic peculiarities in his varied piano playing was a rolling bass figure with his left hand, which supported his improvisations with the right very effectively. And I knew this figure, I had heard it - on records - from another pianist, and as a When I asked John where he got these phrases from, he didn't hesitate for a second to uncover its source - and thereby confirm my suspicions: 'I got that from a Russian pianist whom you certainly don't know - from a certain Art Hodes , a white blues pianist. '... A few years later I was in awe of Art Hodes in JAZZLAND and when I knew him a little better, I asked him very carefully where he got this rolling bass figure of the left hand from. 'I know that very well', came the answer directly and without hesitation, 'I got it from a blind blues pianist from Chicago, whom you certainly don't know - from Blind John Davis.' "Quote from Axel Melhardt Jazzland WIEN