Anthony Davis

The adventurous playing and writing on this reissue hint at both avant-garde jazz and 20th century classical music. Pianist/composer Anthony Davis (who wrote all of the music for the set) is joined by violinist Leroy Jenkins, cellist Abdul Wadud, and drummer Pheeroan akLaff on the three-part "Suite for Another World" and "Estraven," while taking "Of Blues and Dreams" as a solo piano feature. The music is episodic and somewhat cinematic, with some intriguing interplay among the musicians.

Written as music to accompany the choreography of Molissa Fenley, Anthony Davis followed the huge artistic (if not commercial) success of his albums Episteme and Variations in Dreamtime with yet another wonderful recording along similar lines. Using many of the same musicians and, in fact, recycling some of the same thematic material (as he was to do often in his career), Davis once again finds enormous richness and power in a territory straddling advanced jazz and contemporary minimalism, here even enjoining the services of Steve Reich's violinist of choice, Shem Guibbory. The compositions combine propulsive, oddly metered rhythms with fascinating and often gorgeous melodies including, especially his bitterly beautiful "A Walk in the Shadows," here given arguably its finest, most intense performance with Guibbory doing gut-wrenching work…

Anthony Davis - Lady Of The Mirrors (1980) {India Navigation IN1047CD rel 1991}
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© 1980, 1991 India Navigation Company | IN 1047 CD
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Anthony Davis is best known as a composer, both in avant-garde jazz and in classical music (including operas). Although all six selections on this reissue CD are by Davis, the main focus is on his piano playing. He is heard on six extended solos, exploring many moods and ideas in a thoughtful yet unpredictable fashion. His "Man on a Turquoise Cloud" pays tribute to one of his main influences, Duke Ellington, but in general the complex and often-fascinating music is quite original and has no obvious predecessor. Lady of the Mirrors is still one of Anthony Davis' finest piano recordings.

Anthony Davis - Undine (1987) {Gramavision 18-8612-2}
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© 1987 Gramavision | 18-8612-2
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Piano

Pianist Anthony Davis and his Episteme ensemble perform two lengthy and complex pieces ("Still Waters" and "Undine") that mix together aspects of avant-garde jazz and contemporary classical music. Davis' group includes J.D. Parran on flute, clarinet and contrabass clarinet, Marty Ehrlich on clarinet, bass clarinet and flute, cellist Abdul Wadud and percussionist Gerry Hemingway, plus bassoon and violin. Unusual music (reissued on CD) that takes a few listens to fully absorb.

Anthony Davis - Middle Passage (1984) {Gramavision GRCD-8401}
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© 1984 Gramavision | GRCD-8401
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Anthony Davis, a brilliant pianist/composer, performs four of his compositions as solo piano pieces, utilizing electronics on the lengthy "Particle W." Even if none of the individual compositions are all that memorable by themselves, Davis's combination of avant-garde jazz and hints of the tradition with contemporary classical music is quite intriguing and full of surprises.

Anthony Davis - The Ghost Factory (1988) {Gramavision R2 79429}
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© 1988 Gramavision / Rhino | R2 79429
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

The gifted pianist/composer demonstrates his facility with contemporary classical and jazz pieces, playing sometimes in duos, other times trios, and also interacting with The Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. Percussionists Pheeroan Ak Laff or Gerry Hemingway and violinist Shem Guibbory are his partners, while all the compositions are Davis'.