Eddie Lockjaw Davis Jaws Strikes Again

Now why do you suppose they called him '"Lockjaw"'? Just listen. Eddie Davis based much of his style on the tough extremities of Ben Webster's gritty gutbucket tenor sax. Picking up where Ben left off, Jaws would growl, shriek and rock in ways that landed him on the cusp between bebop and rhythm & blues. Over many years he developed into a mature performer who was capable of great subtleties. We are fortunate to have this opportunity to hear his earliest recordings as a leader. Some of this stuff is startling. "Surgery," a smooth, searching, walking blues, exists in the same harmonic/thematic realm as Boyd Raeburn's quirky study for big band, "Tonsillectomy." The piece called "Lockjaw" is more of a muscle tussle, and "Afternoon in a Doghouse" is a simple finger-pop bop groove…

Among the main protagonists credited with linking the big band era with the soul jazz scene that emerged during the late 1950s, Eddie Lockjaw Davis remains a notable influence on jazz saxophonists to this day. While perhaps not always displaying the finesse of his contemporaries, Davis produced a tone that was wholly unique and capable of emitting an aggressive, bluesy sound alongside lines of great tenderness and sensitivity. The flexibility of his playing lent itself to rhythm and blues, swing, hard bop and Latin jazz over the years, and while his early career featured Davis supporting some of the finest artists of the period, his greatest records came when he took up the role of bandleader, notably during his tenancy with the Prestige label. This collection features the eight albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis as leader released on the Prestige label between 1958 and 1961.

Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Johnny Griffin & Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details. “Tough Tenors”; “Lookin’ At Monk”; “Blues Up And Down” and “Griff & Lock”.
Two tough tenors, indeed! These two titans of the tenor sax both had wildly prolific careers but somehow found the time to come together as a hard blowing unit from 1960-1962. Discovering they had compatible styles on their chosen tenors the pair decided to form their famous quintet where you will hear, rather than perhaps the expected cutting sessions, their styles perfectly complimenting each other…

Arnett Cobb's debut for Prestige and his first recording as a leader in three years (due to a serious car accident in 1956) is an explosive affair. Cobb is matched up with fellow tough tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and there are plenty of sparks set off by their encounter. With organist Wild Bill Davis, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Arthur Edgehill keeping the proceedings heated, Cobb and Davis tangle on a variety of basic material, alternating uptempo romps such as "Go Power" and "Go Red Go" with slightly more sober pieces highlighted by "When I Grow Too Old to Dream." This is a great matchup (reissued on CD through the OJC imprint) that lives up to its potential.

When Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis entered a New York studio with producer Orrin Keepnews on May 3, 1962, they did some things that were unusual for the two-tenor team. They played mostly ballads, they didn't engage in any tenor battles and - most surprising of all - they didn't perform together on any of the tunes. Griffin was featured on four songs, Davis on another four. The same rhythm section - Horace Parlan, bassist Buddy Catlett and drummer Art Taylor - was always present, but Parlan played piano on the songs featuring Griffin and celeste on the songs featuring Davis. For whatever reason, the performances remained in the can for 42 years; they weren't even mastered until 1966, and they finally saw the light of day when Fantasy released Pisces in 2004…

Goin' to the Meeting is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in 1962 for the Prestige label.