Wild Bill Davison
Source: Second Hand Songs
Born 5 January 1906 in Defiance, Ohio, Wild Bill Davison, played banjo, guitar and mandolin as a youth before taking up cornet. Also taking up hard liquor as a teenager, Davison spent the rest of his life blowing horn in an obfuscated condition like other members of the bands with which he performed. He picked up "Wild" as well due to his penchant for women. Neither stopped him from getting around to a good old age and he blew a sweet swing horn, positively a top tier elite among master jazz performers.
Davison is thought to have first recorded in 1924 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Chubb-Steinberg Orchestra on April 10: 'Walking Talking Dolly', 'From One Till Two', 'Blue Evening Blues' and 'Horsey! Keep Your Tail Up' [Lord]. The Chubb-Steinberg Orchestra was the house band of Radio WLW sponsored by the Chubb-Steinberg Radio and Music Store on 6th Street in Cincinnati. Titles like 'Because They All Love You' and 'Mandy Make Up Your Mind' followed in 1925. Davison then joined the Benny Meroff Orchestra in the latter twenties with whom he recorded a couple titles in 1928 as first trumpet, rather than second cornet.
'Blue Evening Blues' w 'Horsey! Keep Your Tail Up'
Wild Bill Davison w the Chubb-Steinberg Orchestra
Davison's 3rd and 4th-known titles to issue
Recorded 10 April 1924 in Cincinnati Matrices 8633-B / 8634-B Okeh 40107
Cornet: Burt Allen / Davison Trombone: Frank Bamberger
Alto sax: Homer Beecraft / Ray Evans Clarinet / tenor sax: Jack Weber
Piano: Jack Saakamp Violin / vocal: Art Hicks Banjo: Carl Clauve
Tuba: Ray Fetzer Drums: Bud Ebel
Composition: Vic Berton / Art Kahn Composition: Bert Kaplan / Walter Hirsch
'Smiling Skies' Wild Bill Davison w the Benny Meroff Orchestra
Recorded 9 Dec 1928 in Chicago Matrix 402202-C Okeh 41171 / Paramount CJS102
Trumpet: Davison / Rosie Rusciolelli / Joe Rullo Trombone: Al Marineau / Joe Quartell
Alto sax: Lennie Cohen / Tony Ciccone Tenor sax / arrangement: Arnold Pritikin
Piano: Al Nillson Violin: Roy Cole Guitar: Sid Pritikin
Tuba: Fritz Ciccone and/or George Physter Drums: Benny Metz
Composition: Charley Straight / Milton Samuels / Walter Hirsch
Leaving the Meroff operation in 1931, Davison then formed his own band with clarinetist and saxophonist, Frank Teschemacher. Unfortunately the latter was killed in an auto accident the next year, broadsided in a car that Davison was driving, after which Davison headed for Milwaukee. He there made his name as the "Trumpet King" during the thirties, but didn't record again until February 12, 1940, upon leading 'I Surrender Dear' and 'On a Blues Kick'.
'On a Blues Kick' Wild Bill Davison w the Collector's Item Cats
Recorded 12 Feb 1940 in Chicago Collector's Item 102
Trumpet: Davison / Rosie Rusciolelli / Joe Rullo Trombone: Al Marineau / Joe Quartell
Alto sax: Lennie Cohen / Tony Ciccone Tenor sax / arrangement: Arnold Pritikin
Piano: Al Nillson Violin: Roy Cole Guitar: Sid Pritikin
Tuba: Fritz Ciccone and/or George Physter Drums: Benny Metz
Composition: Charley Straight / Milton Samuels / Walter Hirsch
Davison finally headed for New York City in 1941 where he teamed up with probably the most significant figure in his career who was guitarist, Eddie Condon. The pair first put down tracks together in Davison's Commodores for the Commodore record label on November 27, 1943, tracks such as 'That's a Plenty' and 'Muskrat Ramble'. That ensemble became George Brunies' Jazz Band on 29 November toward such as 'Royal Garden Blues' and 'That Da Da Strain'. It was the Commodores again on 30 November toward such as 'Clarinet Marmalade' and 'Baby Won't You Please Come Home'. On 3 December they put away titles as Wild Bill's Jazz Band. Condon and Davison remained nigh inseparable partners to as late as 1972. Upon Condon's death on August 4, 1973, followed by Ben Webster's on September 20, Davison participated in three titles during their posthumous July 5, 1974, Carnegie Hall tribute concert: 'Avalon', 'Keepin' Out of Mischief Now' and ''Lady Be Good'.
'Muskrat Ramble' Wild Bill Davison and His Commodores
Recorded 27 Nov 1943 in NYC Matrix A-4678-2 Commodore 618
Cornet: Davison Trombone: George Brunies Clarinet: Pee Wee Russell
Piano: Gene Schroeder Guitar: Eddie Condon
Upright bass: Bob Casey Drums: George Wettling
Composition: Charley Straight / Milton Samuels / Walter Hirsch
Clarinetist and saxophonist, Sidney Bechet, was another important figure in Davison's career, they first recording together in Condon's outfit on January 20, 1945, per a radio broadcast in NYC yielding the likes of 'Jazz Me Blues' and 'At Sundown'. They would work together for another five years, sharing their last session on April 27, 1950, for a Bechet session yielding such as 'Jelly Roll Blues' and 'Hindustan'.
'Darktown Strutter's Ball' Wild Bill Davison w Art Hodes' Hot Five
Recorded 12 Oct 1945 in NYC Matrix BN267-2 Mosaic MR6-110
Cornet: Davison Clarinet: Sidney Bechet Piano: Art Hodes
Upright bass: Pops Foster Drums: Freddie Moore
Composition: Shelton Brooks 1917
'Clarinet Marmalade' Wild Bill Davison w the All Star Stompers
Recorded 6 Sep 1947 in NYC Circle J-12003-A
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Jimmy Archey Clarinet: Edmond Hall
Piano: Ralph Sutton Guitar: Danny Barker
Upright bass: Pops Foster Drums: Baby Dodds
Composition: Larry Shields w Henry Ragas of the Original Dixieland Jass Band 1918
Among Davison's more frequently recorded tunes was 'Monday Date', first rendered on January 22, 1945. It received attention again in Vienna for his 1958 album, 'Wild Bill Davison Und Die Tremble Kids'.
'A Monday Date' Wild Bill Davison w the Tremble Kids
Recorded 17 Nov 1958 in Vienna, Austria [Discogs has this issued on 17 Nov 1958]
See the album 'Wild Bill Davison und die Tremble Kids' Columbia SCXW7501 / VS806
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Walter Leibundgut Clarinet: Werner Keller
Piano: Ola Ringstrom Guitar: Oscar Kline
Upright bass: Rolf Cizmek Drums: Peter Giger
Composition: Earl Hines / Louis Armstrong 1918
'Mack the Knife' Wild Bill Davison
15 Aug 1959 for NBC Radio at the Roundtable Club in NYC
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Harry DeVito Clarinet / tenor sax: Bob Wilber
Piano: ? Upright bass: John Giuffrida Drums: Johnny Blowers
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht 1928 for 'The Threepenny Opera'
'Blue and Broken Hearted' Wild Bill Davison Film or Tape NYC 1964
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Cutty Cutshall Clarinet: Edmund Hall
Piano: Hank Duncan Upright bass: Al Hall Drums: George Wettling
Composition: Grant Clarke / Edgar Leslie / Lou Handman 1922
'Fidgety Feet' Wild Bill Davison
18 Nov 1967 in Manchester, England See the album 'Fidgety Feet' on Jazzology JCD-231
Cornet: Davison / Alex Welsh Trombone: Roy Williams
Clarinet / tenor sax: Al Gay Baritone sax: John Barnes
Piano: Fred Hunt Guitar: Jim Douglas
Upright bass: Ronnie Rae Drums: Lennie Hastings
Composition: Larry Shields w Henry Ragas of the Original Dixieland Jass Band 1918
Another musician whom Davison knew for decades was pianist, Art Hodes. Hodes had been born in Ukraine in 1904 which was Russia at the time. Lord has Davison and Hodes recording together for the first time with Hodes' Hot Five on 12 October 1945 toward titles like 'Shine'. Davison's last recordings in Lord would go down with Hodes on May 15 of 1989 in Wales resulting in such as 'Lady Be Good', 'Squeeze Me' and 'Hindustan'.
'Just a Closer Walk with Thee' Wild Bill Davison
Sometime 1972 in High Point NC See the album 'Stars of Jazz' on Jazzology J-61 1978
Trumpet: Davison Trombone: Jim Beebe
Clarinet: Barney Bigard
Piano: Art Hodes Guitar: Eddie Condon
Upright bass: Rail Wilson Drums: Hillard Brown
'That Swingy Dingie Thing' Wild Bill Davison Film or Tape Denmark 1975
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Fessor Lindgren
Composition: ?
'Azucar' ('Sugar') Wild Bill Davison w Marito Cosentino y sus Jazz Cats
28 July 1978 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
See the album 'Wild Bill Davison en Buenos Aires' on RCA Victor AVS-4639 1978
Cornet: Davison / Alex Welsh Trombone: Miguel Piccolo
Clarinet: Marito Cosentino Tenor sax: Enrique Varela
Piano: Juan C. Cirigliano Guitar: Enrique Costa
Upright bass: Guillermo Facal Drums: Eduardo Casalla
Composition: Maceo Pinkard / Sidney Mitchel / Edna Alexander 1926
'On the Alamo' Wild Bill Davison Taped live
Sometime 1984 in Malmo, Sweden
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Bill Alred
Clarinet: Chuck Hedges Tenor sax: Enrique Varela
Piano: Bob Pilsbury Drums: Buzzie Drootin
Composition: Isham Jones / Gus Kahn 1922
'You're Lucky to Me' Wild Bill Davison Taped live
Sometime 1984 in Malmo, Sweden
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Bill Alred
Clarinet: Chuck Hedges Tenor sax: Enrique Varela
Piano: Bob Pilsbury Drums: Buzzie Drootin
Music: Eubie Blake 1930 Lyrics: Andy Razaf
'You Took Advantage of Me' Wild Bill Davison w the Condon Memories All Star Band
Taped live at the Bern Jazz Festival 1985
Cornet: Davison Trombone: Bill Alred Clarinet: Allan Vache
Piano: Dick Wellstood Guitar: Bucky Pizzarelli
Upright bass: Milt Hinton Drums: Jake Hanna
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart 1928
Concert Wild Bill Davison w the Condon Memorial Band
July 1988 in Elkhart, Indiana
Cornet: Davison / Tom Saunders Trombone: George Masso Clarinet: Chuck Hedges
Piano: Dave McKenna Guitar: Marty Grosz
Upright bass: Milt Hinton / John Bany Drums: Rusty Jones / Wayne Jones
Davison died on November 14, 1989, in Santa Barbara, California.
Sources & References for Wild Bill Davison:
Jack Sohmer (Jazz House)
VF History (notes)
Associates Musical:
Art Hodes (piano / 1904-1993):
Audio of Davison: YouTube
Recordings: Catalogs:
45 Worlds All Music Discogs Music Brainz RYM SHS
Recordings: Select:
Fidgety Feet (Jazzology JCD-231 / 2002)
Memories (Jazzology J-201 / 1966)
Stars of Jazz (Jazzology J-61 / 1978)
Surfside Jazz (Jazzology J-25 / 1965)
Wild Bill Davison en Buenos Aires (RCA Victor AVS-4639 / 1978)
Wild Bill Davison und die Tremble Kids (Columbia SCXW7501 / VS806 / 1958)
Recordings: Sessions:
DAHR (1924/46/47/50)
Tom Lord: leading 135 of 328 sessions 1924-89
Authority Search: VIAF
Other Profiles: Last.fm Syncopated Times
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