Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

Eddie " Lockjaw " Davis, also known as Jaws or Lock, ( born March 2, 1922 in New York as Edward Davis, † November 3, 1986 in Culver City, California ) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer.

Life and work

First played the tenor saxophonist who taught himself through marks and an instrument from the pawnshop, the games themselves and already eight months later had his first engagement, from 1942 to 1944 with Cootie Williams, then at Lucky Millinder, in Louis Armstrong's last big band as well as from 1945 / 46 Andy Kirk. He also participated in the sessions of the bebop musicians in Clark Monroe's Uptown House, played with Roy Eldridge, Ace Harris, Gerald Wilson and Billie Holiday, the 1946 Esquire Jazz Book elected him into their dream band.

In 1946 he founded his own rhythm and blues group embossed and made his recording debut; dates from this time supposedly his nickname: To save bonuses, the known standards often called the small record labels around - Eddie Davis had with " Lockjaw " ( jaw lockjaw ) a huge success and this " nickname", which is also to " Lock" or " Jaw " was abbreviated, remained life get him. With his combo he formed the house band at Minton 's Playhouse; In addition, she performed at the Royal Roost. During this time he worked with Tadd Dameron and died young trumpeter Fats Navarro.

Since 1952, he was with Count Basie as a saxophonist, temporarily employed as a manager of the Basie band; he returned in 1957, 1964/65, 1966 and 1967 to 1973 in the orchestra back. Between 1955 and 1960 he maintained a solid trio ( from tenor, organ and percussion ), among other things, the the organist Shirley Scott belonged and performed the Count Basie's in Harlem in local. For his former albums for Prestige Records, the trio has been supplemented by other musicians; were added as the bassist George Duvivier, the Shirley Scott took off the footwork and the flutist Jerome Richardson. Caused a stir his early 1960s albums created with Harry "Sweets " Edison as Jawbreakers (1962). Its delicate, soft and smooth style formed a contrast to the rather heated Davis. In 1960, Davis the opportunity to put together a big band for Trane Whistle, in which, inter alia, Clark Terry, Melba Liston, Eric Dolphy and Jimmy Cleveland played - the arrangements provided Oliver Nelson, who also wrote most of the compositions, including his famous "Stolen Moments" in a first version. In the same year, together with his great idol Coleman Hawkins was the album Night Hawk.

In 1961, he contributed to the album Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics. With its prestigious series The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Showcase he sat down a little-known talents for the promotion; so he accompanied with his band blues vocalists such as Al Smith or Milfred Anderson, both of which never reached the big breakthrough.

Between 1960 and 1962, he led, together with the tenor colleague Johnny Griffin in a jazz quintet with Junior Mance popular friends, Larry Gales and Ben Riley, the recorded several plates and later underwent several re- association additions; then he worked 1963/64 temporarily as a music agent. Outside of the quintet Davis experimented with Latin Jazz (Afro - Jaws ), including with Clark Terry and Ernie Royal.

He returned again back to Basie and played in the Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band; also he had with Roy Eldridge groups (1974 ) and "Sweets " Edison ( 1975-1982 ); During this time he was Norman Granz 'Label Pablo Records connected and joined with Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Milt Jackson in the compiled by Granz All-Star formations, so in 1977 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Among the highlights of the discography of the late Davis heard the album Straight Ahead. 1983, there was a recent reunion with Basie in the formation The Kansas City Seven.

Davis worked from the 1970s often with European musicians together, with Niels -Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Georges Arvanitas, Alex Riel, Jesper Lundgaard and Isla Eckinger. From 1974 to 1985 he performed regularly in Vienna Jazzland, where he appeared in 12 years a total of 18 weeks Austrian jazz musicians. In 1982 he played with the Michael Starch Trio and Karl Ratzer Album Land Of Dreams, a 1982 he guested in a Battle of the Saxes at the Berlin Jazz Festival.

When one of his recent honors, he received the 1986 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Jazz Society. His numerous compositions include "Hey Lock ," "Foxy ", "Three Deuces " and "Very Saxy ".

His style

" Lockjaw " Davis played a robust and voluminous tenor; because of its powerful tone he developed a distinct and inimitable style that was characterized by idiosyncratic twists and expressive phrasing. Mark was his extroverted, earthy robust game " with snarling, roaring, but it 's brilliant tone ".

With all its soaked blues and gospel recordings, Davis had been already used in the 1950s on a similar line as the hard bop musicians. It turned his game " an independent alternative to the of" modernists " His motto was " set trends like Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. ": I do not want to be typed, but simplicity is my theme and I do want to stay close to basic ingredients ". Elsewhere he said: "I have not experimented or developed myself, but trying to achieve - with the ear of the audience through simplicity melody, a simple improvised line, in performances that were not too long. "

Trivia

To what extent Lockjaw Records and / or the rock group Lockjaw relate to his nickname, is not known.

Disco printing specifications

Eddie Lockjaw Davis 1946-1947 ( Classics ) with Fats Navarro, Sadik Hakim, Al Haig
Rarest Sessions of the 40's ( Raretone 1946-1948 ) with Sadik Hakim, Al Haig, Shad Collins
Eddie Lockjaw Davis 1948-1952 ( Classics ) with Wynton Kelly, Billy Taylor, Freddie Green, Oscar Pettiford
Tenor Battles, 1954 ( Phoenix Jazz ) with Sonny Stitt
Modern Jazz Expressions 1955 ( Sing ) with Doc Bagby, Charlie Rice
Uptown ( ContactRecord - Denmark 1955-1958 ) with Doc Bagby, Charlie Rice, Shirley Scott, Bill Pemberton
Eddie 's Function 1957 ( Affinity ) with Shirley Scott
Count Basie presents Eddie Davis ( Roulette - 1957) with Joe Newman, Shirley Scott, George Duvivier, Butch Ballard
Cookbook, Vol.1 & 2 ( Prestige / OJC, 1958), with Shirley Scott, George Duvivier, Arthur Edgehill (drums ), Jerome Richardson
Jaws ( Prestige - 1957) with Shirley Scott, George Duvivier, Arthur Edgehill
Jaws in Orbit ( Prestige 1959) with Shirley Scott, George Duvivier
Stolen Moments - Lockjaw Davis Big Band ( Prestige 1960) with Clark Terry, Melba Liston, Jimmy Cleveland, Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy, Richard Wyands, Roy Haynes - arrangements by Ernie Wilkins
Tough Tenors (1960 ) with Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, Ben Riley, Larry Gales
Handle and Lock ( Jazzland - 1960) with Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, Ben Riley, Larry Gales
The First Set ( Prestige - 1961) with Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, Ben Riley, Larry Gales
The Late Show ( Prestige - 1961) with Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, Ben Riley, Larry Gales
Blues Up and Down ( OJC, 1961); The Tenor Scene ( OJC, 1961) with Johnny Griffin
Afro - Jaws ( Fantasy - 1961) with Clark Terry, Ray Barretto
Street Lights (1962 ) with Don Patterson (org )
Battle Stations ( Prestige, 1963) with Johnny Griffin and Norman Simmons
Misty ( Moodsville 1963) with Shirley Scott
Save your Love for me ( Bluebird - 1966) with Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Hank Jones, Jay Jay Johnson, Frank Wess
The Fox and the Hounds (RCA 1966) with Jerome Richardson, Bobby Plater, Frank Wess, Billy Mitchell, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Urbie Green, Hank Jones, George Duvivier, Grady Tate
Light and Lovely ( Black and Blue 1975) with Harry Edison, Gerry Wiggins, Major Holley, Oliver Jackson
Eddie Lockjaw Davis ( Storyville, 1975) with Michel Attenoux
Jaws strikes again ( Black & Blue, 1976) Wild Bill Davis, Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson
Straight Ahead ( Pablo 1976) with Tommy Flanagan, Keter Betts, Bobby Durham
Straight Blues ( Prestige, 1976) with Count Basie, Harry Edison
Eddie Davis & Wild Bill Davis; Vol.1 & 2 ( Black & Blue 1976) Wild Bill Davis, Oliver Jackson
Opus Funk; Vol.1 & 2 ( Storyville 1976) with Harry Edison, Kenny Drew
Swingin ' till the girls come home ( Steeplechase 1976) with Thomas Clausen, Alex Riel
77 Montreux ( Pablo Live 1977) with Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Jimmy Smith
Leapin ' on Lenox ( Black & Blue, 1978) with Eddie " Cleanhead " Vinson, Milt Buckner, Milt Hinton, JC Heard
All of Me ( All Life - 1978) with Harry Edison, Pierre Michelot, Sam Woodyard
The Heavy Hitter ( Muse Records, 1979) with Albert Daily, George Duvivier, Victor Lewis
Sonny, Sweets and Jaws ( Kingdom 1981) with Sonny Stitt, Harry Edison, Eddie Higgins, Duffy Jackson
Eddie Lockjaw Davis ( Enja - 1981) Horace Parlan with, Reggie Johnson, Alvin Queen
Live at the Widder - Zurich 1982 Vol 1 & 2 - with Gustav Csik, Isla Eckinger, Oliver Jackson
Land of Dreams ( Disc Tilly 1982) - with Karl Ratzer, Michael Starch, Victor Plasil
All of Me ( Steeplechase - 1983) - with Kenny Drew

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