Kris Davis

Kris Davis (born 1980) is a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.

Early life Davis was born in Vancouver in 1980 and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. In 2014, Davis had a six-day residency at The Stone in New York City and played in the UK for the first time.

Davis completed her master's degree in composition at the City College of New York in 2014.

In 2015, Davis received a Doris Duke Impact Award. The following year, she performed John Zorn’s Bagatelles in both Quebec and New York City in a quartet with Mary Halvorson, Drew Gress, and Tyshawn Sorey. Her album Duopoly was included in 2016 best-of lists in publications including The New York Times, NPR Music, and PopMatters. Davis also founded the label Pyroclastic Records in 2016, and three years later she formed a nonprofit organization to support the label.

In 2019, Davis began work as instructor and assistant director at Berklee College of Music's Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. and the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll.

The DownBeat Critics Poll named Davis 2017 Rising Star Pianist, 2018 Rising Star Artist, and 2020 winner of the piano category. In 2020, she was named Composer of the Year and Pianist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Davis' co-led album New Standards Vol. 1 won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Personal life Davis was formerly married to the drummer Jeff Davis. She married guitarist Nate Radley in 2012. 2021: Doris Duke Performing Artist Award

Discography An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

As sidewoman