Wild Bill Davison

[Late]

Any fans? Love his work with Bechet, and this one is a sentimental favorite.

[BillF]

  Late said:

Any fans? Love his work with Bechet, and this one is a sentimental favorite.

Love his work on the Condon jam sessions.

[Harold_Z]

Big fan here. I had the good fortune to have seen him live in the 60s and over the years I've accumulated a lot of his recordings. His Commodore recordings, the Blue Notes with Bechet, all the stuff with Eddie Condon, his Columbia "string" albums, etc etc.

He created his own instantly identifiable style out of Louis and Bix, as did Bobby Hackett and Max Kaminsky, to name just two more. They all sounded different from one another although they drew from the sama sources.

[Swinging Swede]

He drove the car the fatal night when Frank Teschemacher died. That must have haunted him, and allegedly some Chicago musicians blamed him for Tesch's death. It took a decade before he reemerged on the scene in the 40s. Great musician though.

[BeBop]

Count me among the fans. I saw him play with Peanuts Hucko (and on the same bill with Turk Murphy, as I recall) a couple of years before his passing.

Love the Commodore stuff, but here's a good one from fairly late in his career:

w/Papa Bue Jensen's Viking Jazz Band

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:fvfyxqrgldfe

[jazzbo]

Love that burry sound! And man what a player!

[Late]

Is the cover to With Strings Attached just as classic? (Please post if you have it!) When I hear Davison, I often think "Woody Allen soundtrack" — in the best sense of that phrase. Timeless and uplifting.

[Harold_Z]

  Late said:

Is the cover to With Strings Attached just as classic? (Please post if you have it!) When I hear Davison, I often think "Woody Allen soundtrack" — in the best sense of that phrase. Timeless and uplifting.

I have it but have no idea how to post it. It's a picture of Wild Bill, Cutty Cutshall, and Bob Wilbur. I checked Google Images to no avail.

Edited June 4, 2008 by Harold_Z

[EKE BBB]

Here's the requested cover, and the Arbors CD reissue, paired with "Pretty Wild".

[EKE BBB]

BTW, I also love Wild Bill! He's the kind of "rough jazz" that's growing more and more on me. No aditives!

[thomastreichler]

I am a big fan of Wild Bill too. I especially like his work with Condon in the 40's and 50's. He was one of the most convincing and exciting lead players in the Chicago and Dixieland style.

[flat5]

Sure I'm a fan! I'm amazed how well the Condon gang played together.

...and on so many tunes.

[WD45]

  EKE BBB said:

BTW, I also love Wild Bill! He's the kind of "rough jazz" that's growing more and more on me. No aditives!

Agreed! What a sound!

[Late]

Thanks for sleuthing out that cover EKE!

Anyone know how the "Wild" got attached to his name?

[Harold_Z]

In the early 80s Wild Bill was a guest on the Johnny Carson show. He said that he was playing a gig in the late 20s on Chicago's south side and when he arrived he saw a sign outside the venue. It said "Now Appearing - Wild Bill Davison - the white Louis Armstrong". Bill was embarresed by the sign but the nickname stuck.

No doubt helped by his docile reputation and healthy liquid intake..

[Brute]

BUMP! I've been listening to his Commodore recordings alot in the last few weeks. Does anyone know if his "Strings" albums have been reissued on CD?

[jazzbo]

Yes, the Columbia albums were released on cd by Arbors Jazz. His Storyville string date was also out on cd.

Edited January 13, 2010 by jazzbo

[carnivore]

  On 6/3/2008 at 6:40 PM, BillF said:

  Late said:

Any fans? Love his work with Bechet, and this one is a sentimental favorite.

Love his work on the Condon jam sessions.

Bill's solo on 'Fidgety Feet' on the 'Jammin' at Condon's album is one of the most perfect in jazz. The timing, the sound, the rhythmic drive....!!!!!!!!