« back

nathan davis - the best of nathan davis 1965 - 1976 - jazzman - cd

Genre: Jazz

1. Theme From Zoltan
2. Sconsolato
3. B s Blues
4. A5
5. Mandingo s Pad
6. Up Jumped Spring
7. Uschimaus
8. Cecen Kizi
9. Atlanta Walk
10. Makatuka
11. New Orleans
12. Tragic Magic
13. A5 (alternate version)

Nathan Davis has been an internationally significant figure in jazz throughout the latter half of the 20th century, but to many his musical legacy remains little known. This album presents the music of Nathan Davis as it developed through the ‘60s and ‘70s, from bop through modal to world sounds and funk. Having turned his back on the US he spent the ‘60s living in Europe, regularly playing and recording with jazz luminaries such as Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd and Eric Dolphy, before returning at the end of the decade to take up a career in teaching in Pittsburgh. This collection includes recordings from his most significant albums as recorded in France, Germany, Turkey and the US.

The tracks encompass a variety of styles, with performances on tenor saxophone, soprano and flute. The CD booklet/LP liners contain previously unpublished photographs and detailed biographical information, documenting a career which has seen him forge an individual path through the history of postwar jazz and help to pioneer jazz education in the US at the University of Pittsburgh. A modern master of the tenor and soprano saxophones, Davis's own albums are true gems of modern jazz, but astonishingly much of his work never saw general release in the US or the UK. Less still has been re-released, and until now there has never been a representative compilation or career overview. The liner notes contain biographical detail and also details of the recordings themselves, as gleaned from our interviews with Nathan Davis and his professional colleagues. Pictures of- and information on the original LPs which are now coveted collectors items, are also included. Also, there's answers to questions as to why he turned his back on the US to develop a career in Europe, his love of ethnic music, and why he spurned the limelight and opportunity to achieve fame, plus his current interests and reflect upon his life as professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh.