Charles Davis
tenor and baritone saxophone
Tenor and baritone saxophonist, a peer whom Barry ranked among the best tenor players in the world and featured at his big annual concert.
- mentions
- 2
- recordings
- 2
- Barry speaking
- 1
What Barry says
Asked to name peers he admires, as opposed to mentors like Bud Powell and Charlie Parker, Barry puts Charles Davis first: probably one of the best tenor players in the world, a man who really knows about improvisation, though Barry admits he cannot explain exactly what he means by that.
Barry says Davis is underrated and little talked about, but that when he puts his playing together it is some of the best-built music Barry has heard; he really can play.
Describing his yearly big concert, with a children’s chorus, big band, strings, adult chorus and tap dancers, Barry says he usually features horn players, and that the last one featured Jimmy Heath and Charles Davis.
In his own words
Probably one of the best tenor players in the world is Charles Davis, who... who knows about improvisation. Who really knows about improvisation.
Of course he’s underrated and you don’t hear that much about him and stuff. But man, when he puts the stuff together, it’s some of the best-put-together stuff that I’ve heard.
I generally have featured horn players. At the last concert I featured Jimmy Heath and Charles Davis.
Every mention
2 moments in the recordings, 1 of them Barry speaking. Each says who is talking.
I Remember You
- 4:10
Speaker unclear
An announcer, perhaps Barry acting as MC, asks for a big round of applause for Charles Davis.
Charles Davis memorial - Musical selection 2
- 0:55
At Davis’s memorial (per the video title), Barry introduces his farewell song for musicians, first written for Walter Davis.
In the interviews and notes
Among his contemporaries Barry singles out Charles Davis as perhaps one of the finest tenor saxophonists anywhere, someone with a real grasp of improvisation who is underrated and too little heard.
Barry mentions that his most recent big concert, for which he arranges the music for some 200 performers, had Jimmy Heath and Charles Davis as featured soloists.
De Lima lists Charles Davis, valued for knowing about improvisation, first among the bandstand peers from whom Barry said he tried to pick up ideas.
Recordings that name them
Barry’s performances and records in the archive that credit or name them.
- Barry Harris Quintet Live in NY - Casbah (2003) -feat. Charles Davis, Roni Ben-Hur2020, 13 min YouTube
- Barry Harris Quintet Live in NY - 7-4-3 (2003)2018, 10 min YouTube
- Charles Davis memorial - Musical selection 12016, 13 min YouTube
- Charles Davis memorial - Musical selection 22016, 8 min YouTube
- Charles Davis, Barry Harris Quartet - Reflections2015, 10 min YouTube
- Charles Davis, Barry Harris Quartet - To The Highest Degree2015, 8 min YouTube
- Charles Davis, Barry Harris Quartet - K.D.2015, 6 min YouTube
Method ideas nearby
Ideas of the method taught in the classes where they come up, with how many mentions fall in each.