EDUCATION:
| Grade: Francis E. Willard | ||||||||||||||||
| High: Jean Baptist Point DuSable | ||||||||||||||||
| College: Vandercook College of Music (B.M.E.) | ||||||||||||||||
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| Walter H. Dyett, Music Director of High School (Studied with him for 10 years - private lessons) |
| Rudolf Fahsbender , Contra Bassist with Chicago Symphony |
| David Walter, Contra Bassist for N.Y.C. Ballet |
MUSICAL INFLUENCES:
Duke Ellington, Jimmy Blanton, Eric Dolphy (later on)
RECORDED WITH:
A. Spencer Barefield, Ahmad Jamal, Andrew Hill, Barbra Streisand, Ben Sidran, Ben Webster, Bo Didley, Booker Ervin, Bruce Springsteen, Carly Simon, Charles Lloyd, Charlie Ventura, Chico Hamilton, Chick Corea, Chris Conner, Clark Terry, Clifford Jordan, Daichi Kondo, Dave Brubeck, David Murray, Dexter Gordon, Don Shirley, Earl Hines, Eddie Daniels, Edie Gorme, Elvin Jones, Eric Dolphy, Frank Foster, Frank Sinatra, Garland Jeffries, Gary Bartz, Gary McFarland, Gil Evans, Herbie Mann, Illinois Jaquet, J.J. Johnson, James Moody, James Taylor, Janis Ian, Jim Raney, Jimmy Scott, Jimmy Smith, Joe Henderson, Joe Zawinal, Joel Futterman, John Carter, John Lennon, John Lewis, Junior Mance, Kai Winding, Kenny Burrell, Ken McIntyre, Lalo Schrifrin, Larry Levy, Laura Nyro, Lew Soloff, Leo Maiberger, Loudon Wainwright, Lucky Thompson, Manhattan Transfer, Marvin Peterson, Mel Lewis, Melanie, Milt Jackson, New York Unit, Novella Nelson, Oliver Nelson, Paul Gonsalves, Paul Simon, Peter Matz, Phil Woods, Pharoh Saunders, Ray Bryant, Richard Davis & Friends, Roland Kirk, Roy Haynes, Sammy Davis Jr., Stan Getz, Steve Lawrence, Tatsuya Nakamura, Thad Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Tony Williams, Van Morrison, Walt Dickerson, Yasuhiro Kohno and many others.
MUSICAL TRAVELS:
Europe, U.S.S.R., Brazil, Puerto Rico, Cuba, West Indies, Japan, Hong Kong, Israel, Canada.
ORCHESTRAL BACKGROUND:
CONDUCTORS:
Tauno Hannaikainen, Igor Stravinsky, Gunther Schuller, Leopold Stowkowski, Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Harry Rabinowitz.
JAZZ GROUPS:
Ahmad Jamal, Archie Shepp, Ben Sidran, Benny Carter, Bud Powell, Charlie Rouse, Clifford Jarvis, Cy Coleman, David Murray, Don Cherry, Don Moye, Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Waits, Gene Ammons, J.J. Johnson, Joanne Brackeen, Joe Williams, John Carter, John Lewis, John Tchaii, Kenny Dorham, Koolfest All Stars with Nat Adderly, Miles Davis, Mingus Dynasty, Morgana King, Peggy Lee, Philly Joe Jones, Sir Roland Hanna, Sarah Vaughan, Sauter Finnegan, Shelley Manne, Spencer Barefield, Stella Marrs, Sun Ra All Stars, Tatsuya Nakamura, Thad Jones Ò Mel Lewis Orchestra, Young People's Concert at N.Y. Philharmonic.
TELEVISION:
Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Bob Hope, Bobby Hackett, Carmen McCrae, "Express Yourself", "Hullaballoo", Jack Benny, Lena Horne, Liza Minelli, "Miss America Pageant", "Positively Black", "Soul", "Soul Train", Telethon with Jerry Lewis, Teressa Brewer, Tony Bennett, Tony Martin, "Wonderama", and others, including 500 or so television commercial jingles.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Miscellaneous
Hobby: Horsemanship
Director of Jazz area at University of Wisconsin, Madison
Director of Synergy Inc. (Dance and Music)
Organization and Clubs:
| -American Dressage Association | |
| -Professional Horseman's Association | |
| -U.S. Dressage Federation | |
| -Kappa Kappa Psi | |
| -S.O.A.R. Ò Student Orientation Activities & Registration | |
| -Dane County Tourism Council - Executive Richard Phelps | |
| -Madison Committee for the Arts - Mayor Paul Soglin | |
| -Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau | |
| -American Horse Show Association | |
| -Urban League | |
| -N.A.A.C.P. | |
| -P.T.O. Member-at-Large |
Member of A.S.C.A.P.
National Endowment of the Arts
Wisconsin Arts Board
American Jazz Foundation
NAJE
Thelonious Monk Institute Consultant
Life Member of NARAS
Own publishing company: "Sympatico Music Publishers, Inc."
Featured Artist on Disc Union Records and Hep Records, Sweet Basil.
| 1. "Muses for Richard Davis" | |
| 2. "With Understanding" | |
| 3. "As One" | |
| 4. "Fancy Free" | |
| 5. "Song for Wounded Knee" | |
| 6. "Dealin" | |
| 7. "Epistrophy and NowÌs the Time" | |
| 8. Co-Leader with Elvin Jones on "Heavy Sounds" | |
| 9. Duo feature with Walt Dickerson on "Divine Gemni" | |
| 10. "Harvest" | |
| 11. Duo Ò Larry Levy | |
| 12. "Way Out West" | |
| 13. "Persia My Dear" | |
| 14. Duo, Richard Davis and Yasuhiro Kohno | |
| 15. Richard Davis & Friends, "One for Frederick" | |
| 16. Richard Davis & Friends, "Dealin" | |
| 17. Richard Davis & Friends, "I Remember Clifford" | |
| 18. Richard Davis & Friends, "Four Play" | |
| 19. Richard Davis and Archie Shepp, "Body and Soul" |
Disc Jockey on 92FM, WMAD Madison, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin "Jazz Brunch"
Published Works
Article appearing in the International Society of Bass Quarterly, 1992.
"How To Practice"; International Society of Bassists
"My 18 Years with Arturo Toscanini" (Richard Davis interviews Sam Levitan); International Society of Bassists
Richard Davis interviews David Walter, bassist with Arturo Toscanini; International Society of Bassists
"Walking on Chords"; an instructional bookletRecorded Works:
| 1. "Joshua" | |
| 2. "Step Across That Line" | |
| 3. "Pitter Pat" | |
| 4. "Half Pass" | |
| 5. "A Third Away" | |
| 6. "Agnewistic" | |
| 7. "Mr. Nixon and Gen. Thieu" | |
| 8. "The Rise and Fall of Tricky Dick" | |
| 9. "Song for Wounded Knee" | |
| 10. "Watergate" | |
| 11. "Itt and Allende" | |
| 12. "WhatÌd You Say" | |
| 13. "Dealin" | |
| 14."Julie Rag Doll" | |
| 15. "SweetÌn" | |
| 16. "Sorta" | |
| 17. "Blues for Now" | |
| 18. "Fuge'n" | |
| 19. "Persia My Dear" | |
| 20. "Clean Genes (Jeans)" | |
| 21. "Jumonji" | |
| 22. "Bon Soir" | |
| 23. "Misako" Jazz Quintet | |
| 24. "De Javu Monk" | |
| 25. "Another" | |
| 26. "Mara" |
Clinician and Adjudicator
Centre De Pompidou in Paris; University of Texas; Michigan State University, Notre Dame University; Drake University; Tennessee State University; University of Wisconsin, Whitewater; University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse; Oregon High School; numerous other universities and high schools; Bass master classes at University of WisconsinÒStevens Point; faculty member at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee; specialist reviewer for National Endowment of the Arts, North Florida String Institute.
Other Honors and Awards
- Community Service Award - WORT 89.9 FM, 1990 Challenge Initiative Campaign.
- International Down Beat Critic's Poll consecutively from 1967-1974 and also of that publicationÌs ReaderÌs Poll from 1967-1972.
- Recent Outstanding Musician's Award from Vandercook College of Music.
- ASCAP Award - 15 years in a row (Popular Awards).
- Wheat and Chaff Outstanding Professor, 2 years in a row (UW, Madison Campus).
- Grant in "Electronics in Music," University of Wisconsin.
- Grant in "Research of 20th Century Classical Music for the Double Bass," University of Wisconsin.
- Grant in "Research of 20th Century Jazz Music for Double Bass."
- Coordinator, Wisconsin Arts Board Concert Series Grant.
- "Who's Who", 1982 Edition.
- Invited by President and Mrs. Reagan to concert and reception at White House, 9/10/81 in tribute to Lionel Hampton.
- Elected to the 2nd Edition of the Directory of Distinguished Americans (American Biographical Institute).
- Elected to Personalities of America.
- Elected to the Kemper-Knapp Bequest Committee.
- Elected to Men of Achievement, 1983, England.
- Grant Research, University of Wisconsin.
- Thelonious Monk and Erik Satie Grant Research - University of Wisconsin.
- NEA Grant Consortium.
- Acknowledgement: Arts Midwest Jazz Letters Reader's Poll.
- Elected to International Who's Who in Music.
- Nominated to WAMI Hall of Fame.
- Grand Prize on Howard Shack film.
- Franklin-Randall Parent Teacher Organization (Parent Volunteer).
- University of Wisconsin Mentor Program.
- State of Wisconsin/City of Madison/Committee for the Arts.
- Atomic Bomb Victims' Peace Award by Mayor Hitoshi Motojima of Nagasaki, Japan.