Melvin Lee Davis
| Melvin Lee Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Orange County, California, United States |
| Genres | R&B, Jazz, funk, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, music director |
| Instruments | Electric bass, keyboard, piano |
| Associated acts | Chaka Khan, The Pointer Sisters, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight & The Pips |
| Website | melvinleedavis.com |
Melvin Lee Davis is an American bass player, vocalist, keyboard player, producer, TV composer and engineer based in Orange County, California. He is the music director for Grammy-award winning artist Chaka Khan, and has toured with and played as a session musician with The Pointer Sisters, Lee Ritenour, Bryan Ferry, Patti Austin and Gladys Knight & The Pips and others. In addition, he co-wrote the Soul Train theme song, Soul Train's A-Comin.[1] His records, Tomorrow’s Yesterday and Nature’s Serenade were released through The Orchard; LTV: Love, Truth & Victory was released through P-Vine Records.
Early life and career
Born and raised in Orange County, Melvin Lee Davis played the violin at age 4 and the saxophone at age 6; he took up the guitar while he was in high school. He was discovered by a saxophone player in Buddy Miles’ jazz band who was dating his sister while Davis was playing at a club. Miles flew Davis to New York City to audition and hired him on the spot.[1]
Davis played in New York City clubs and met Soul Train producer Don Cornelius through a mutual friend, Ron Kersey. According to Davis, Davis made many of his contacts in R&B through Cornelius. "…if you were a black musician in the business of making R&B and soul music and wanted to get on television, you had to go through Don Cornelius," he said.[1][2]
His association with Cornelius lead him to co-writing the Soul Train theme,Soul Train's A-Comin'. Davis has worked for Grammy award winning singer Chaka Khan as a session and touring bassist in addition to music director. He’s also worked with jazz artists including Lee Ritenour and Patti Austin, as well as R&B notables Gladys Knight & The Pips and The Pointer Sisters as well as former Roxy Music frontman and glam rock/new wave musician Bryan Ferry.[3][2]
Selected credits
- Gladys Knight & the Pips, All Our Love (Bass)
- Allen Hinds, Touch’’ (Bass)
- Tina Turner, Foreign Affair (Composer)
- Tina Turner, Simply the Best (Composer)
- Lee Ritenour, Wes Bound (Bass)
- Boomerang [Original Soundtrack] (Composer)
- George Benson, Love Remembers (Synthesizer)
- Patti Austin, That Secret Place (Bass)
- Patti Austin, Reach’’ (Bass)
- Lee Ritenour, Alive in L.A. (Bass)
- Lee Ritenour, ’'This Is Love (Bass)
- George Benson, Standing Together (Synthesizer)
- Lee Ritenour, Rit's House (Bass)
- George Benson, ’'Irreplaceable (Hammond organ)
- Lee Ritenour, ’'Smoke 'N' Mirrors (6-string electric bass, electric bass)
- Lee Ritenour, 6 String Theory (Bass)
Discography
- Nature’s Serenade (2003)
- Tomorrow’s Yesterday (2000)
- LTV: Love, Truth & Victory (1996)
References
- 1 2 3 Liebman, Jon (17 May 2010). "Melvin Lee Davis". For Bass Players Only. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
- 1 2 Bentley, Mark (April 2011). "On the Side: Melvin Lee Davis". Smooth Views: Keeping Smooth Jazz in Sight. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
- ↑ "Melvin Lee Davis". Viva Roxy Music. Retrieved 3 March 2015.