Obituary, Richard Davis (1930-2023)

The American bassist Richard Davis has passed away at the age of 93. Perhaps best known for his versatility as a performer and ability to adapt himself to a variety of different musical roles throughout his career, the musician left an indelible mark not only in the world of jazz but popular music as well. A classically-trained performer, Davis grew up in a musical Chicago household, with his first performing stint arriving in the form of his family’s vocal ensemble. Having taken up double bass during high school, he was a member of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Chicago and would maintain a strong link with the city’s musical heritage as he would go on to study under Ruldof Fashbender of the CSO while attending VanderCook College of Music in the late forties and early fifties, before going on to play with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra in New York. He performed with the NYPO during the sixties under the baton of such greats as Bernstein and Boulez, and can be seen to feature in the background of one of the former conductor’s many televised ‘Young People’s Concerts’, with the musician cutting a tall dark figure alongside his sturdy instrument.

His successive string of achievements in the classical world alone would be enough to smile about, and yet Davis’ astounding career doesn’t stop there. Having moved to New York in 1954 with his musical partner, pianist Don Shirley, the bass player would quickly go on to become one of the most in-demand session musicians on the scene owing to his undoubtable skillset and professional connections across many musical circles. One of the most striking (yet unsurprising) appearances from the chameleonic performer is on Van Morrison’s masterwork of soulful late-sixties folk, Astral Weeks. In a video analysis on his Youtube channel, composer David Bruce sums up the classic album by highlighting Davis’ individual musical personality, the bassist’s “pigeon-hole free uncategorisableness” epitomising the captivating spirit of the record as a whole.

At the time, Davis was a valued and oft-called upon performer who contributed to many forward-thinking and cutting-edge musical recordings, the most notable being Eric Dolphy’s outstanding example of the avant-garde, Out To Lunch!, in 1964. In addition, he also served as a member of Sarah Vaughan’s trio along with the formidable drummer Roy Haynes and would go on to perform with all three Jones brothers (that's Hank, Thad and Elvin) in different entities. Other vital musicians to employ Davis’ talent include Jaki Byard, Bobby Hutcherson and Andrew Hill, with whom the bassist featured on nearly all of his output over the decade as one of the most important post-bop players. Moving into the seventies, he would appear on albums from everyone from Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen to Kate & Anna McGarrigle, proving time and time again that there were more strings to his bow.

In addition to music, Davis was also a keen horseman who kept up his academic commitments and servitude to the next generation of young musicians as a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1977 onwards. Having been voted ‘Best Bassist’ in the Downbeat International Critics’ Poll for seven consecutive years and inducted as a NEA Jazz Master in 2014, Davis’ overwhelming yet unsung abilities are at long last starting to be recognised. And yet, despite a wealth of releases under his own name, it is the artists Davis collaborated with and his association with them that ultimately remain better known today. Here’s hoping that upon his recent passing, the late bass master’s work might receive its own timely reappraisal. 

Discover some of our favourite recordings featuring Richard below...