Wild Bill Davis


Wild Bill Davis was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with the Tympany Five, the backing group for Louis Jordan. Prior to the emergence of Jimmy Smith in 1956, Davis was the pacesetter among organists.

Biography

Davis was born in Glasgow, Missouri, and grew up in Parsons, Kansas. He first learned music from his father who was a professional singer. He received further musical training at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. In his early career he took inspiration from Fats Waller and Art Tatum.
Davis moved to Chicago, where he originally played guitar and wrote arrangements for Milt Larkin's big band from 1939 through 1942; a band which included Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, and Tom Archia on horns. In 1943 he played guitar and wrote arrangements for Earl Hines. Davis first worked as a pianist in Chicago with Louis Jordan and his band Tympany Five, whom he played with regularly from 1945 through 1949.
After leaving Jordan and the Tympany Five, Davis pursued a career as an solo organist in 1950. In 1951 he formed the Bill Davis Trio, which consisted of Chris Columbus on drums and the left-handed guitarist Bill Jennings, that recorded for OKeh Records. Davis continued to lead his trio for decades, with other musicians swapping in and out periodically. The trio would always include organ and drums with either guitar or double bass. For decades his trio spent summers playing in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Davis was originally supposed to record "April in Paris" with Count Basie's Orchestra in 1955 but when he could not make the session, Basie used his arrangement for the full band and had a major hit. Some musicians he did record with include saxophonists Frank Morgan, Arnett Cobb, and Johnny Hodges ; and singer Ella Fitzgerald.
In addition to working with his own group, Davis recorded and led tours with Duke Ellington from 1969 through 1971. In the 1970s he recorded for the Black & Blue Records label in Paris with a variety of swing all-stars, including saxophonist and clarinetist Buddy Tate ; trombonist Al Grey ; saxophonist and blues shouter Eddie Vinson ; double bass player Slam Stewart, tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, and tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. He played with Lionel Hampton from 1978 through 1980. In 1983 Davis recorded with French jazz saxophonist Guy Lafitte in 1983. In 1987 he toured with trombonist Grover Mitchell and his band. He also toured France with the ensemble '3 D' whose other members included French vibraphonist Dany Doriz and French drummer Michel Denis. He appeared at many music festivals internationally during the 1980s and into the early 1990s.
Davis died on August 17, 1995, in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

  • 1951: "Eyesight To The Blind" // "Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em Rough, Tell 'Em Nothing"
  • 1951: "Chicken Gumbo" // "Hi Diddle Diddle" – note: these four songs feature Bill Jennings, Chris Columbus
  • 1952: Azure-Te , No. 30 on Billboard Hot 100 in 27 September 1952.
  • 1954: Here's Wild Bill Davis – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus
  • 1954: On The Loose – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus
  • 1955: Wild Bill Davis At Birdland – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus; reissued as Lullaby Of Birdland in 1972.
  • 1955: Evening Concerto – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus
  • 1956: Wild Bill Davis On Broadway – with Floyd Smith, Joe Morris
  • 1956: Wild Bill Davis In Hollywood – with Floyd Smith, Joe Morris
  • 1959: Wild Bill Davis Swings Hit Songs From "My Fair Lady" – with Maurice Simon, Milt Hinton, Jo Jones
  • 1959: Flying High With Wild Bill Davis – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate
  • 1960: Dance The Madison!
  • 1960: Organ Grinder's Swing – reissue of Dance The Madison!
  • 1960: “Aphrodisia” Jackie Gleason Orchestra credited on back jacket!
  • 1961: Dis Heah
  • 1961: The Music From Milk & Honey – with Charlie Shavers
  • 1961: Blue Hodge – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1962: One More Time
  • 1962: Lover
  • 1963: Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Bill Davis
  • 1963: Mess of Blues – with Johnny Hodges, Kenny Burrell; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1964: Blue Rabbit – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1965: Free, Frantic And Funky
  • 1965: Con-Soul & Sax – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1965: Joe's Blues – with Johnny Hodges, Grant Green; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1965: Wings & Things – with Johnny Hodges, Grant Green; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1966: Blue Pyramid – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1966: Live At Count Basie's
  • 1966: Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City – with Johnny Hodges; reissued as In A Mellotone in 1990; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz.
  • 1967: Midnight to Dawn
  • 1968: Flying Home – compilation of material recorded for Everest Records.
  • 1969: Doin' His Thing
  • 1971: Wonderful World Of Love
  • 1972: Impulsions – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus
  • 1972: Midnight Slows, Vol. 2 – with Buddy Tate, Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus
  • 1972: Buddy Tate & Wild Bill Davis – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus; reissued on CD as Broadway in 1987 by Black & Blue.
  • 1973: Illinois Jacquet With Wild Bill Davis – with Al Bartee; reissued on CD as The Man I Love in 1995 by Black & Blue.
  • 1973: Illinois Jacquet With Wild Bill Davis, Vol. 2 – with Al Bartee
  • 1976: Wild Bill Davis & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Live! – with Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson
  • 1976: Wild Bill Davis & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Live! Vol. 2 – with Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson
  • 1976: All Right OK You Win – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson
  • 1986: Live At Swiss Radio, Studio Zürich – with Clifford Scott, Dickie Thompson, Clyde Lucas
  • 1986: Greatest Organ Solos Ever! – solo organ
  • 1987: 70th/30th Anniversary Live Concert – with Austrian jazz organist T.C. Pfeiler http://www.tcpfeiler.com
  • 1990: Wild Bill Davis Super Trio: That's All – with Plas Johnson, Butch Miles
  • 2004: In the Groove! – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate; CD compilation of material recorded for Everest Records.
  • 2004: In a Mellow Tone – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate; CD compilation of material recorded for Everest Records.
  • 2005: Organology By Wild Bill Davis: April In Paris – CD compilation of material recorded for Epic Records.
  • 2005: Organology by Wild Bill Davis: Syncopated Clock – CD compilation of material recorded for Epic Records.
  • 2005: The Everest Years – CD compilation of Davis' five Everest albums.
  • 2014: Live at Sonny's Place 1985
  • 2014: Live at Sonny's Place 1986
  • 2021: The Wild Bill Davis Collection 1951-1960 – 2CD compilation of material recorded for the OKeh, Epic, Imperial, and Everest labels.

    As sideman

With Ray Brown / Milt Jackson
  • Much in Common
With Billy Butler
  • Don't Be That Way
With Arnett Cobb
  • Blow Arnett, Blow
With Gene "Mighty Flea" Conners
  • Coming Home
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
With Duke Ellington
  • New Orleans Suite
  • 70th Birthday Concert
With Ella Fitzgerald
  • These Are the Blues
With Johnny Hodges
  • Sandy's Gone
With Frank Morgan
  • Frank Morgan
With Floyd Smith
  • Floyd's Guitar Blues
With Sonny Stitt
  • The Matadors Meet the Bull
  • ''What's New!!!''