Steve Davis

Steve Davis (born in 1967) is an American jazz trombonist who plays hard bop, post-bop, and standards. His primary influences are J. J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton, Jackie McLean, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane.

Steve Davis was raised in Binghamton, New York, where he grew up with jazz music being played in the household (father's record collection, grandparents played). The Binghamton scene included many talented musicians including mentors Doug Beardsley (Music Box jam sessions) and Al Hamme (SUNY Binghamton) as well as peers Kris Jensen, Tony Kadleck, Tom Dempsey, Dena DeRose, John Hollenbeck and many others. He is married to the pianist Mary Di Paola-Davis.

He studied jazz under Dr. Jackie McLean at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford in Connecticut. While in school, Davis also gained valuable experience sitting-in and gigging on the Hartford jazz scene with Hartt professors Hotep Galeta and Nat Reeves, and with Don DePalma, Larry DiNatale and others at The 880 Club. Legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean, founder of Hartt's African-American music program, recommended Steve to Art Blakey, whose Jazz Messengers he joined at Sweet Basil in New York in December 1989. After Blakey's death, Davis joined the Hartt faculty in 1991 (where he continues to teach today) and taught at The Artist's Collective in Hartford. Steve gained further international recognition playing in his mentor McLean's Sextet from 1992–97 and in Chick Corea's Origin (1997–2001). Davis has been a member of the acclaimed, New York-based cooperative sextet One for All since its inception in 1996. Along with Davis, the band features Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth. Davis also currently plays with Larry Willis' Quintet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band/Septet, leads The Steve Davis Quintet (featuring saxophonist Mike DiRubbo) and is a fixture on the New York and Hartford jazz scenes.

He has played and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Jackie McLean, Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard and The New Jazz Composers Octet, Benny Golson's New Jazztet, One for All (Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth), Hank Jones, Cecil Payne, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Eddie Henderson, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band (featuring Slide Hampton, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove), Avishai Cohen, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and Michael Weiss, among many others. Davis has appeared on over 100 recordings as a sideman and has recorded 15 albums as leader, including The Jaunt (1996), "New Terrain" w/ Explorers Quintet (1997), Vibe Up (1998), Portrait in Sound (2000), Systems Blue (2001), Meant To Be (2003), Alone Together feat. Larry Willis (2004), Update featuring Roy Hargrove (2006), Outlook (2008), Eloquence featuring Hank Jones (2009), "Live At Small's" (2010) and "Images" (2010). Steve has a few pieces for jazz sextet sheet music published by SecondFloorMusic.com. Steve plays on a vintage Antoine Courtois large bore trombone bought used in the 80's with a Marcinkiewicz mouthpiece.

As leader

 * The Moon Knows w/ Explorers (Brownstone, 1994)
 * The Jaunt (Criss Cross, 1995)
 * Dig Deep (Criss Cross, 1996)
 * Crossfire (Criss Cross, 1997)
 * New Terrain w/ Explorers (Ind, 1997)
 * Vibe Up (Criss Cross, 1998)
 * Portrait in Sound (Stretch/Concord, 2000)
 * Systems Blue (Criss Cross, 2001)
 * Meant to be (Criss Cross, 2003)
 * Update (Criss Cross, 2006)
 * Alone Together (Mapleshade, 2007)
 * Outlook (Posi-Tone, 2008)
 * Eloquence (JLP, 2009)
 * Live At Small's (Small's Live, 2010)
 * Images (Posi-Tone, 2010)
 *  Gettin' It Done (Posi-Tone, 2012)

As sideman
Selected discography:
 * One For All w/ Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (1990, A & M)
 * Chippin' in w/ Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (1990, Timeless Records)
 * Rhythm Of The Earth w/ Jackie McLean (1992, Birdology)
 * Fire & Love w/ Jackie McLean (1997, Toshiba EMI/Blue Note)
 * Mode For Mabes w/ Eric Alexander (1997, Delmark)
 * Beautiful Friendship w/ Joe Farnsworth (1998, Criss Cross)
 * Osteology w/ Conrad Herwig (1998, Criss Cross)
 * Adama w/ Avishai Cohen (1998, Stretch/Concord)
 * Change w/ Chick Corea & Origin (1999, Stretch/Concord)
 * Brand New world w/ Jimmy Greene (1999, BMG)
 * Soul Journey w/ Michael Weiss (2003, Sintra)
 * Good-Hearted People w/ David Hazeltine (2002, Criss Cross)
 * One 4-J w/ Steve Turre (2002, Telarc)
 * Spirit Of The Horn w/ Slide Hampton's World of Trombones (2002, MCG)
 * American Song w/ Andy Bey (2004, Savoy)
 * Dizzy's Business w/ Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band (2005, MCG)
 * Turn Up the Heath w/ Jimmy Heath Big Band (2006, Planet Arts)
 * Blue Fable w/ Larry Willis (2007, High Note)
 * ''On the Real Side w/ Freddie Hubbard & New Jazz Composers Octet (2008, Hip Bop)
 * New Time, New 'Tet w/ Benny Golson (2008, Concord)
 * Return Of The Lineup w/ One for All (2009, Sharp Nine)
 * I'm BeBoppin' Too w/ Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, (2009, Half Note)