Wise Tom Harrell

Xavier Davis' professional career as a Jazz pianist took off when the legendary vocalist Betty Carter spotted his outstanding talent at the 1994 International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Boston while he was performing with his college ensemble. It was her who brought Xavier to New York, hiring him exclusively as the pianist of her working trio. Today, Xavier is one of the most accomplished Jazz pianists world wide. Having led master classes and clinics all over the world and coming from a family of music educators, passing on knowledge and skills to young musicians is very important to Xavier. As such, he is proud to be Associate Professor of Jazz Piano at Michigan State University. Xavier was also member of the teaching staff in the Jazz department of the Juilliard School of Music in New York for six years prior to that.

"Hell" is the 41st studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released on June 28, 1974, by Polydor Records. Yeah this is another fantastic James Brown album from his golden funk age, half of the album is with the JB's, so that meen Isiah "Ike" Oakley, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, St. Clair Pinckney, Hearlon "Cheese" Martin, Jimmy Nolen, Fred Thomas and John Morgan or John "Jabo" Starks on drums, yeah the other half is made with some studio musicians as Joe Farrell, Tom Harrell, David Sandborn, Joe Beck, Charlie Brown, Gordon Edwards and Jimmy Madison, but it really doesn't matter who play on the tracks because all the tracks are great funk and even Lyn Collins and Martha Harvin is singing some background vocals with the JB's.

Jon was born in New York City in 1938. His mother studied classical music and practiced as he went to sleep each night. He was also exposed to jazz at an early age through recordings around the house of various big and small bands. Jon heard Charlie Parker play on a JATP (Jazz at the Philharmonic) concert recording and decided that Alto was his instrument. That lasted until the final year at the special music High School he attended. The piano became central in his life around then and his passion for the jazz being played around the city was all consuming.