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bio

Jeff Davis moved to New York in 1999 and has quickly become a vital contributor to the local and international creative music scenes. He is sought out for his unique, textural approach to the drumset and brings an 'alert responsiveness' to the music he performs.

As a featured member of a number of creative ensembles in New York, Davis has recorded for such labels as Clean Feed, Fresh Sound/New Talent, Green Leaf, Loyal Label, Jazzaway, and innova records. These ensembles include the Kris Davis Quartet, Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas, Tone Collector, the Kirk Knuffke Quartet, the Jesse Stacken trio, Michael Bates' Outside Sources, The RIDD Quartet, Jon Irabagon’s OUTRIGHT!, the Landon Knoblock Quartet, the Jostein Gulbrandsen Quartet, and the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra. In addition to these working bands, Davis has also performed with such artists as Tony Malaby, Chris Speed, Gebhard Ullmann, Brad Shepik, Bill McHenry, and Ron Horton.

Davis has toured Europe and China and has performed at several prominent jazz festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, and the Earshot Jazz Festival. He performs regularly in various New York listening rooms, such as the Stone, the Jazz Standard, the Jazz Gallery, NuBlu, Barbes, Zebulon, the Knitting Factory, Joe’s Pub, the Iridium, and the 55-Bar.

Jeff Davis is currently leading and composing for his own ensemble, featuring New York greats Tony Barba, Kirk Knuffke, Jon Goldberger, Kris Davis, and Eivind Opsvik. This group of like minded improvisers recorded for Davis’ debut CD in June of 2007. The music from this group ventures to blur the line between composition and improvisation, and highlights equally the individual soloist as well as collective improvisation.

Born in Colorado, Davis began playing marimba at the age of nine and later studied classical percussion at the University of Northern Colorado. While in Colorado, Jeff had the opportunity to study and perform with ECM recording artist/pianist Art Lande and trumpet great Ron Miles. Davis holds a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music.


quotes

“Drummer Jeff Davis has a steady profile in left-of-center New York jazz circles...”
- Nate Chinen, The New York Times

“Jeff Davis plays his kit with alert responsiveness, less a traditional rhythm section accompanist, than a creative soloist and spry agitator...”
-Troy Collins, All About Jazz

“Davis creates a foundation that effortlessly moves between defined groove and a more textural approach...” John Kelman, All About Jazz.

“Jeff Davis’ drumming inventions were constantly surprising, always catchy (delicate mallets on inverted cymbal resting on tom, sticks smartly scraping cymbals, irregular time, and more!)”
-Gilles Laheurte, Jazz Improv Magazine

"The rhythm section is top notch; Radding and Davis are two of the finest players of their generation. Their interaction is punchy and aggressive, yet fluid and dynamically varied. They veer from abstract, ramshackle rhythms peppered with metric modulation and stop-time tempos to sly understated swing with effortless grace."
-Troy Collins, All About Jazz

“...drummer, Jeff Davis, is a force of nature!”
-Graciela Carriqui, CD Baby