About John Ross Twiston Davies
Lived 1927 – 2004 (aged 77). John Ross Twiston Davies was a British saxophonist.
John Ross Twiston Davies (20 March 1927 – 25 May 2004) was an English audio engineer, who specialised in restoring classic jazz records. He was also a working musician and a member of The Temperance Seven.
Davies was born in Wivelsfield, Sussex, England, the son of a dermatologist. He was a trombonist, trumpeter and alto saxophonist. In the early 1950s, he was a member of the Crane River Jazz Band led by Ken Colyer which spearheaded interest in the original New Orleans jazz style. Later he achieved chart success with the 1960s jazz revival band The Temperance Seven. The group's recording of "You're Driving Me Crazy" reached the top of the UK Singles Chart in 1961. One of his eccentricities, captured in old photographs, was to wear a fez.
For many he was considered "the world's leading specialist in the art of sound restoration", specifically in regard to jazz and blues existing on pre-magnetic tape media such as shellac 78s. He was particularly interested in recordings from 1917 to 1940. The presence of his name on the credit of a reissue is generally considered the mark of a quality product.
He started his own record label called Ristic (after his childhood nickname) in the late 1940s
Davies was always generous with his time and his collection and wanted it to be available for other people to use for research and reissues after his death. The Borthwick Archive at York University has accepted the entire collection and is housing it in ideal conditions, and making a transfer suite available so that his wish can be carried out. Information about the collection collated from the collection catalogue is also available online from the University of York Digital Library, and a small selection of the tracks have been made available to listen to online.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in John Ross Twiston Davies's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Ross Twiston Davies's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Ross Twiston Davies?
American audio engineer and musician (1927-2004)
When was John Ross Twiston Davies born?
John Ross Twiston Davies was born on 20 March 1927 in Sussex.
When did John Ross Twiston Davies die?
John Ross Twiston Davies died on 24 May 2004.
What was John Ross Twiston Davies's occupation?
John Ross Twiston Davies was a saxophonist.
What nationality was John Ross Twiston Davies?
John Ross Twiston Davies was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: John Ross Twiston Davies
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Ross Twiston Davies. https://biography.guide/john-ross-twiston-davies/
MLA: "John Ross Twiston Davies." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-ross-twiston-davies/.
Chicago: "John Ross Twiston Davies." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-ross-twiston-davies/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:16 UTC