Dennis Davis
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Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums – including seven successive studio albums – during the singer’s classic mid- and late- seventies period, and on many hit singles, starting with „Fame“ (1975).
Er war auch ein sehrguter Conga Spieler!!
Der gebürtige New Yorker Dennis Davis vertiefte sich schon in jungen Jahren in den Jazz und machte sich als Schlagzeuger für bahnbrechende, beliebte Künstler wie David Bowie, Roy Ayers, Stevie Wonder, George Benson und Iggy Pop einen Namen. Er spricht mit Joe über seine Mentorschaft bei den legendären Schlagzeugern Max Roach und Elvin Jones; Kämpfe in Vietnam; Erstellen zeitloser, klassischer Alben; ständiges Touren; Rassismus in Boston; eine Familie gründen; und der Kampf gegen die Krankheit, die schließlich sein Leben kostete. Foto: Michael Baumann
Davis died on April 6, 2016, of cancer.[7] His youngest son, Hikaru Davis, made a series of interview videos from 2016-2019 speaking with musicians who knew his father.[8] When interviewed, Tony Visconti played Davis‘ drum and „thunderous“ conga tracks from „Look Back in Anger„, periodically exclaiming „great!“, „amazing!“, „that’s killer!“, and noting that Davis „plays so many things at once… and yet it doesn’t sound busy“.[9] The accompanying review says that Davis is „that most perfect of drummers too: endlessly inventive, yet never gets in the way of the funk.“ T-Bone Motta, an older son, has been the drummer for Public Enemy since 2012.[10]
Davis arbeitete u.a. auch für Iggy Pop („The Idiot“), Jemaine Jackson („Let’s Get Serious“) und Stevie Wonder („Hotter Than July“, „Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants“). Erste Bekanntheit erhielt er 1967 in der Clark Terry Big Band, nach seiner Tätigkeit als Militärmusiker im Vietnamkrieg stieg Davis in Roy Ayers’ Band ein.
Davis met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers.[3] Davis was hired by David Bowie in 1974 for two tracks on Young Americans. Alomar, Davis and George Murray formed the „D.A.M. Trio“ rhythm section which performed on seven successive albums released by Bowie in the 1970s, all of which are regarded as amongst the artist’s best.[4] Davis also played on three live albums recorded during that period, two of which were released after Bowie’s death. The snare sound used on Bowie’s Low album is considered influential on many later records. It was the result of early pitch shifting technology coupled with Davis’s sensitive touch as a performer.[5] In the late seventies Davis also teamed up with Stevie Wonder and worked on four albums over the following decade. In the early 2000s, he played percussion on David Bowie’s live tours, including the artist’s last, A Reality Tour, in 2003. The drummer for that band was Sterling Campbell, who was previously a student of Davis.[6]