Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis


Edward F. Davis, known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" : it is either said that it came from the title of a tune or from his way of biting hard on the saxophone mouthpiece. Other theories have been put forward.

Biography

Davis played with Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk, Eddie Bonnemère, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie, as well as leading his own bands and making many recordings as a leader. He played in the swing, bop, hard bop, Latin jazz, and soul jazz genres. Some of his recordings from the 1940s also could be classified as rhythm and blues.
In 1940, when Teddy Hill became the manager of the legendary Minton's Jazz club, he put Eddie Davis in charge of deciding which musicians could, or couldn't, sit in during the jam sessions.
His 1946 band, Eddie Davis and His Beboppers, featured Fats Navarro, Al Haig, Huey Long, Gene Ramey and Denzil Best.
In the 1950s, he was playing with Sonny Stitt, while from 1960 to 1962, he and fellow tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin led a quintet.
Starting in 1955, and up to 1960, Eddie Davis pioneered the tenor sax/Hammond organ combo, in a group featuring Shirley Scott on the Hammond B3.
From the mid-1960s, Davis and Griffin also performed together as part of the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, along with other, mainly European, jazz musicians.
Davis died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in Culver City, California, at the age of 64.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

With Mildred AndersonPerson to Person – with Shirley Scott
With Count BasieThe Count! Basie Jazz Dance Session Album #2 The Atomic Mr. Basie – originally titled Basie; also known as E=MC2Everyday I Have the Blues The [Count Basie Story] Pop Goes the Basie Basie Meets Bond Live at the Sands (Before Frank) Sinatra at the Sands Basie's Beatle Bag Basie Swingin' Voices Singin' Basie's Beat Broadway Basie's...Way Hollywood...Basie's Way Basie's in the Bag Count Basie Captures Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire Manufacturers of Soul The Board of Directors Annual Report Basie Straight Ahead How About This Standing Ovation Basic Basie Basie on the Beatles High Voltage Basie Jam Mostly Blues...and Some Others
With Billy ButlerDon't Be That Way
With Benny Carter
With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big BandSax No End
With Arnett CobbBlow Arnett, Blow – also released as Go Power!!!
With Gene "Mighty Flea" ConnersComing Home
With Wild Bill DavisAll Right OK You Win
With Harry EdisonJust Friends
With Red GarlandThe Red Garland Trio + Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
With Dizzy GillespieThe Dizzy Gillespie Big 7
With Al Grey
With Tiny GrimesCallin' the Blues
With Coleman HawkinsNight Hawk
With Jo Jones
With Quincy JonesGolden Boy
With Al SmithHear My Blues – with Shirley Scott; also released as Blues Shout!
With Sonny Stitt