International Jazz Banjo Newsletter

Most readers are well familiar with Eddy Davis. Some know him as banjo soloist and entertainer, others as the musical director of the Woody Allen New Orleans Jazz Band, yet others as composer,arranger in various bands like The New York Banjo Ensemble,Stanley's Washboard Kings, The Spike Jones Revival Band and many others. Eddy has been so active during his musical life that he himself would propably have a hard time recalling all projects he's been involved in. Apart from his playing, I always cherished Eddy's vast knowledge of Jazz and related music from the late 1800's to present, how he would share his knowledge with anybody interested and how he would 'spice up the factual' content with anecdotes and side remarks about the musicians and the time that certain piece of music was played. I would also think that he saved quite a number of titles from disappearing from the public's minds by re-arranging and re-creating them.
At this year's F.I.G.A. comvention in Providence, Rhode Island, Eddy presented 8 or 9 CDs published by New York Jazz Records (http://newyorkjazzrecords.com). I believe that those CDs cover a major part of Eddy's banjo playing and composing / arranging career. Some titles on some CDs are re-issues of formerly published LP
record.Unfortunately,the above referenced web site does not seem to be up-to-date.
Also, this note does not allow to go into the detail of all the CDs.Whichever facet of Eddy Davis' musical and banjo life you like best, you'll find ample material of that on the CDs.
Here's a brief listing and description:
NYJ001 'You Made Me Love You', Eddy Davis, Woody Allen, Conal Fowkes (piano/bass) with the Kim / Dinklage Strings - 12 titles presented in the style Jimmy Durante with strings might have done them. NYJ002 'That's The Samba, It's The Dance Of Love' and NYJ 003 'The New York Samba' highlight the composer and singer Eddy Davis.
He wrote all the 28 titles recorded here with Eddy doing vocals, Frank Vignola on guitar, Conal Fowkes on bass and Joe Ascione on drums. Great jazzy numbers played by top representatives of this art, but not for you in case you prefer banjo solos over great jazz guitar.
NYJ004 'The Blind Man On The Corner Singin' The Beale St. Blues' - An Evening of Early Jazz & Blues: this is a whole story around the Blues and Jazz, book and music written by Eddy. Some great 'newer' names like Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet) and Orange Kellin (clarinet) can be heard on this record. NYJ005 'The Eddy Davis Project' - featuring Doc Cheatham, Howard Alden & Milt Hinton with Jake Hanna, Dan Barrett, Joe Murianyi, Joel Helleny, Dill Jones, Cynthia Sayer & Lew Micallef. This list of artists promises a great recording - and it is! Eddy brought these great artists together and 2 of the recorded numbers are his compositions. NYJ006 Eddy Davis 'The Manhattan Minstrel' - Just sittin' Here Strummin' This Ole Banjo and NYJ007 Eddy Davis 'The Manhattan Minstrel' - From Broadway To Hollywood. As stated on the covers - these two CDs represent the life and times of Eddy Davis. 20 and 24 titles of material you might have heard before on LP,nicely remastered and displaying the wide spectrum of music Eddy covered with varying bands. Lots of great banjo solos, too.
NYJ009 is also sub-titled as The Life and Times of Eddy Davis. However, this CD is strictly banjo solos with the remastered recordings of the New York Banjo Ensemble with Cynthia Sayer, Howard Alden, Frank Vignola and Eddy,plus some very scarce and pretty rag and classics duets of Eddy with Buck Kelly on tenor and plectrum banjos.
I consider those roughly 9 hours of music a treasure every jazz and banjo enthusiast should have.

Greetings, Jürgen Kulus.