Biography.guide
Home › People › Jazz musician › Leonard Davis
Portrait of Leonard Davis

Leonard Davis

1905 – 1957

American jazz musician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Leonard Davis

Lived 1905 – 1957 (aged 51–52). Leonard Davis was an American jazz musician and musician.

Leonard "Ham" Davis (July 4, 1905, in St. Louis, Missouri – 1957) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Davis began his career in St. Louis, playing with the Odd Fellows Boys' Band as a teenager and landing a spot in Charlie Creath's band. Late in the 1920s, he relocated to New York City, where he played in the bands of Edgar Hayes and Arthur Gibbs. He recorded for the first time with Eddie Condon's ensemble in 1929, and sat in with McKinney's Cotton Pickers that same year. In the 1930s he played with Benny Carter, Don Redman, and Elmer Snowden, and did a two-year stint in Louis Armstrong's orchestra starting in 1935. Toward the end of the decade he toured Europe with Edgar Hayes and played in the Blackbirds revue in New York City.

Davis joined Sidney Bechet's revival group in 1940, and also played in bands led by Maurice Hubbard, Albert Socarras, and George James. He continued performing in small-time settings in New York through the mid-1950s.

Biography shop

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
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Died
1957, New York City
Nationality

People in Leonard Davis's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Leonard Davis's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Leonard Davis?

American jazz musician

When was Leonard Davis born?

Leonard Davis was born on 4 July 1905 in St. Louis.

When did Leonard Davis die?

Leonard Davis died in 1957 in New York City.

What was Leonard Davis's occupation?

Leonard Davis was a jazz musician and musician.

What nationality was Leonard Davis?

Leonard Davis was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Leonard Davis

· Wikidata: Q16960369

· DBpedia: Leonard Davis (musician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Leonard Davis. https://biography.guide/leonard-davis-jazz-musician/

MLA: "Leonard Davis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/leonard-davis-jazz-musician/.

Chicago: "Leonard Davis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/leonard-davis-jazz-musician/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:03 UTC