Blind John Davis
Versatility was integral to the musical mindset of John Davis. Although he was world-renowned as a blues pianist, he was proud of his innate ability to play ragtime, a little jazz, even a schmaltzy Tin Pan Alley ditty or two. And he did it all for more than half a century. Born in Mississippi, Davis was in reality a Chicagoan, having moved there before the age of three. He lost his eyesight after stepping on a nail when he was nine, but that didn't stop him from learning the 88s as a teen. That way, he could pick up a few bucks by playing in his father's "sporting houses."
Davis held down the enviable position of house pianist for prolific record producer Lester Melrose from 1937 to 1942, rolling the ivories behind the illustrious likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Tampa Red, and Memphis Minnie for Bluebird, Columbia, Decca, and any other firm the powerful Melrose was connected with. After World War II, the blind pianist assembled his own trio, recording for MGM in 1949-1951. He traveled to Europe with Broonzy in 1952 in what may well have been the first overseas jaunt for any American blues artist.
The pianist remained musically active after that but seldom recorded domestically, saving most of his studio energy for his European tours (a jaunty, typically eclectic 1985 album for Chicago's Red Beans label being a notable exception). Davis' suave, genteel approach didn't jibe with the rough-edged Chicago blues of the '50s, but his sophistication was timeless.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
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Diskografie
10 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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Blind John Davis Vol. 1 (1938-1952)
Blues - Erschienen bei Document Records am 27.09.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Blind John Davis
Jazz - Erschienen bei LRC Ltd. - Groove Merchant Records am 19.03.2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Jams featuring Blind john Davis
Jazz - Erschienen bei LRC Ltd. - Groove Merchant Records am 19.03.2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Blind John Davis
Blues - Erschienen bei L+R Records am 03.04.1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Blues Jumped the RabbitNothing But the Blues
Blind John Davis, Hot Lips Page
Blues - Erschienen bei History am 02.01.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Figures / Blind John Davis , (1938 - 1953)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Collector Records Greece am 14.12.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blind John Davis
Jazz - Erschienen bei Resurfaced Records am 27.01.2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo