Wild Bill Davis

Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with the Tympany Five, the backing group for Louis Jordan. Prior to the emergence of Jimmy Smith in 1956, Davis (whom Smith had reportedly first seen playing organ in the 1930s) was the pacesetter among organists.

Biography Davis was born in Glasgow, Missouri, and grew up in Parsons, Kansas. Davis continued to lead his trio for decades, with other musicians swapping in and out periodically. The trio would always include organ and drums with either guitar or double bass. 1954: Here's Wild Bill Davis (Epic LG-1004 [10-inch LP]) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus 1954: On The Loose (Epic LN-1121 [10-inch LP]) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus 1955: Wild Bill Davis At Birdland (Epic LN-3118) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus; reissued as Lullaby Of Birdland in 1972. 1955: Evening Concerto (Epic LN-3308) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus 1956: Wild Bill Davis On Broadway (Imperial LP-9010) – with Floyd Smith, Joe Morris 1956: Wild Bill Davis In Hollywood (Imperial LP-9015) – with Floyd Smith, Joe Morris 1959: Wild Bill Davis Swings Hit Songs From "My Fair Lady" (Everest LPBR-5014/SDBR-1014) – with Maurice Simon, Milt Hinton, Jo Jones 1959: Flying High With Wild Bill Davis (Everest LPBR-5052/SDBR-1052) – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate 1960: Dance The Madison! (Everest LPBR-5094/SDBR-1094) 1960: Organ Grinder's Swing (Everest LPBR-5116/SDBR-1116) – reissue of Dance The Madison! 1960: “Aphrodisia” Jackie Gleason Orchestra (Capitol Records SW-1250) credited on back jacket! 1961: Dis Heah (This Here) (Everest LPBR-5125/SDBR-1125) 1961: The Music From Milk & Honey (Everest LPBR-5133/SDBR-1133) – with Charlie Shavers 1961: Blue Hodge (Verve V6-8406) – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10286). 1962: One More Time (Coral CRL-57417) 1962: Lover (Coral CRL-57427) 1963: Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Wild Bill Davis (Imperial LP-9201/LP-12201) 1963: Mess of Blues (Verve V6-8570) – with Johnny Hodges, Kenny Burrell; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10285). 1964: Blue Rabbit (Verve V6-8599) – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10286). 1965: Free, Frantic And Funky (RCA Victor LSP-3314) 1965: Con-Soul & Sax (RCA Victor LSP-3393) – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10283). 1965: Joe's Blues (Verve V6-8617) – with Johnny Hodges, Grant Green; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10284). 1965: Wings & Things (Verve V6-8630) – with Johnny Hodges, Grant Green; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10284). 1966: Blue Pyramid (Verve V6-8635) – with Johnny Hodges; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10283). 1966: Live At Count Basie's (RCA Victor LSP-3578) 1966: Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City (RCA Victor LSP-3706) – with Johnny Hodges; reissued as In A Mellotone in 1990; reissued on CD in 2007 by Lone Hill Jazz (LHJ10283). 1967: Midnight to Dawn (RCA Victor LSP-3799) 1968: Flying Home (Sunset/Liberty SUM-1191/SUS-5191) – compilation of material recorded for Everest Records. 1969: Doin' His Thing (RCA Victor LSP-4139) 1971: Wonderful World Of Love (Tangerine TRCS-1509) 1972: Impulsions (Disques Black & Blue 33.037) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus 1972: Midnight Slows, Vol. 2 (Disques Black & Blue 33.045) – with Buddy Tate, Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus 1972: Buddy Tate & Wild Bill Davis (Disques Black & Blue 33.054) – with Floyd Smith, Chris Columbus; reissued on CD as Broadway in 1987 by Black & Blue. 1973: Illinois Jacquet With Wild Bill Davis (Disques Black & Blue 33.044) – with Al Bartee; reissued on CD as The Man I Love in 1995 by Black & Blue. 1973: Illinois Jacquet With Wild Bill Davis, Vol. 2 (Disques Black & Blue 33.082) – with Al Bartee 1976: Wild Bill Davis & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Live! (Disques Black & Blue 33.303) – with Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson 1976: Wild Bill Davis & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Live! Vol. 2 (Disques Black & Blue 33.308) – with Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson 1976: All Right OK You Win (Disques Black & Blue 33.133) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Billy Butler, Oliver Jackson 1986: Live At Swiss Radio, Studio Zürich (Jazz Connaisseur JCLP-8701) – with Clifford Scott, Dickie Thompson, Clyde Lucas 1986: Greatest Organ Solos Ever! (Jazz Connaisseur JCLP-8702) – solo organ 1987: 70th/30th Anniversary Live Concert (Die Mühle A-850581) – with Austrian jazz organist T.C. Pfeiler http://www.tcpfeiler.com 1990: Wild Bill Davis Super Trio: That's All (Jazz Connaisseur JCCD-9005) – with Plas Johnson, Butch Miles 2004: In the Groove! (Fresh Sound FSRCD-308) – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate; CD compilation of material recorded for Everest Records. 2004: In a Mellow Tone (Fresh Sound FSRCD-309) – with George Clark, Bill Jennings, Grady Tate; CD compilation of material recorded for Everest Records. 2005: Organology By Wild Bill Davis: April In Paris (Vol. 1) (Ocium Records [Spain] OCM-0046) – CD compilation of material recorded for Epic Records. 2005: Organology by Wild Bill Davis: Syncopated Clock (Vol. 2) (Ocium Records [Spain] OCM-0047) – CD compilation of material recorded for Epic Records. 2005: The Everest Years (Expanded Edition) (Empire Musicwerks/Re Records/V.I. Music 50719) – CD compilation of Davis' five Everest albums. 2014: Live at Sonny's Place 1985 (Squatty Roo Records SQU-217) 2014: Live at Sonny's Place 1986 (Squatty Roo Records SQU-218) 2021: The Wild Bill Davis Collection 1951-1960 (Acrobat Records ADDCD-3373) – 2CD compilation of material recorded for the OKeh, Epic, Imperial, and Everest labels.

As sideman With Ray Brown / Milt Jackson Much in Common (Verve, 1964) With Billy Butler Don't Be That Way (Black & Blue, 1976) With Arnett Cobb Blow Arnett, Blow (Prestige, 1959) With Gene "Mighty Flea" Conners Coming Home (Black & Blue, 1976) With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Jaws Strikes Again (Black & Blue, 1976) With Duke Ellington New Orleans Suite (Atlantic, 1970) 70th Birthday Concert (Solid State, 1970) With Ella Fitzgerald These Are the Blues (Verve, 1963) With Johnny Hodges Sandy's Gone (Verve, 1963) With Frank Morgan Frank Morgan (Gene Norman Presents, 1955) With Floyd Smith Floyd's Guitar Blues (Black & Blue, 1972) With Sonny Stitt The Matadors Meet the Bull (Roulette, 1965) What's New!!! (Roulette, 1966)