The Well-Tempered Ear
UW-Madison master bassist Richard Davis dies at 93
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By Jacob Stockinger
First I saw him — particularly standing out because he was one of the very few Black professors on campus at that time.
Then I heard about him.
He was a prize-winning, critically acclaimed jazz bassist who was nationally and internationally famous and freelanced even while at the university.
But the first time I actually heard Richard Davis (below and in the YouTube video of a Fox News feature at the bottom) perform live at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he taught for decades after his arrival in 1977, he was playing in a small chamber orchestra that accompanied a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.
It was a memorable and outstanding performance perfectly suited to the Baroque style of the music, far from the top-notch jazz combos, rock bands, symphony orchestras, conductors and individual star singers that he usually played with.
I don’t think I ever saw or heard met a more complete musician, and I doubt I ever will. It is hard to think of a skill Davis hadn’t mastered — whether it was composing, improvising, performing, recording or teaching.
Davis died last Wednesday — ironically on the first day of classes of the fall semester at the UW-Madison— after spending two years in hospice care. He was 93.
He received a major obituary in The New York Times. Here is a link (you might have to register):
And here is a link to his extended biography, with a discography and an impressive list of awards and honors, in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Davis_(bassist)
Did you ever hear Davis live or on a recording? In what kind of music?
Did you ever perform or study with him?
What was he like as a person and an artist?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Classical music: UW trombonist Mark Hetzler explores Stravinsky with new music and alumni musicians in a FREE concert on FRIDAY night. Plus, you can hear FREE Brahms at noon this Friday
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ALERT: The music of Johannes Brahms will be featured at this Friday’s FREE Noon Musicale at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive. Performers are Wes Luke and Valerie Sanders, violin; Ina Georgieva and Marie Pauls, viola; and Rachel Bottner, cello. (No word on specific works, but it sure sounds like a string quintet is on the program.) The concert runs from 12:15 to 1 p.m.
And more Brahms (below) fits into the question The Ear recently posted about what explains why we are hearing more music by Brahms these days. Here is a link to that post:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/classical-music-are-we-hearing-more-brahms-if-so-why/
By Jacob Stockinger
The always adventurous and inventive UW-Madison trombone professor Mark Hetzler (below) will once again perform an experimental and innovative FREE concert this FRIDAY night (NOT Saturday night, as incorrectly listed on here before) at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall.
“Solitude and Stravinsky“ is an exploration of social isolation and a reimagining of Igor Stravinsky’s popular Neo-Classical “Pulcinella” Suite (which you can hear in the YouTube video at the bottom).
According to the website at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music: “This concert will showcase landmark works by contemporary composers and an experimental performance by the quartet combo Mr. Chair, with special guests and alumni Jason Kutz (piano, below top), Ben Ferris (double bass, below bottom) and Mike Koszewski (drums).”
Here is the full eclectic program:
Allemande, Suite No. 2 in D Major for Solo Cello……J.S. Bach
Brass Atmosphere…..Matthew Burtner
Disegno…….Anders Eliasson
Caravaggio….John Stevens (below)
- Realism; 2. Shadow; 3. Vulgarity; 4. Light
Luminous….Mark Engebretson
Onyzx Quartet…..Jason Kutz
PULCINELLA RE-IMAGINED……Igor Stravinsky (below)
Introduzione (Domenico Gallo)
Scherzino (Giovanni Battista Pergolesi)
Serenata (Pergolesi)
Allegro assai (Gallo)
Allegro alla breve (Pergolesi)
Largo (Pergolesi)
Tarantella (Count Unico Wilhelm Wasserader/Fortunato Chelleri)
Gavotta (Carlo Monza)
Andantino (Alessandro Parisotti)
Minuetto (Pergolesi)
Finale (Gallo)
For a biography of Mark Hetzler and his previous projects, including his many recordings, prizes and guest appearances, go to:
http://www.music.wisc.edu/faculty/mark-hetzler/
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