Nathan Davis

2006 Honoree

Nathan Davis’ love of music has always been just above his head and always within reach. Davis, a well-known saxophonist, is a teacher, jazz performer and prolific composer, with more than 200 pieces to his credit.

He has played alongside such greats as Donald Byrd, Eric Dolphy and Woody Shaw. Davis currently is the director of the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Studies program.

As a 16-year-old in Kansas City, Davis worked to save money for a down payment on a saxophone. Soon, he was playing local gigs and enrolled at the University of Kansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1960.

After college, Davis was sent to Berlin by the U.S. Army. When his military stint was over, Davis decided to continue his career as a musician in Europe, where his career took off.

Davis taught, performed, recorded and toured Europe with some of that era's jazz all-stars. He attended the Sorbonne in Paris for graduate work in ethnomusicology in 1967. A few years later, he went to University of Pittsburgh, where he established the Jazz Studies Program.

Davis launched the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert in 1970. Thirty-five years later, it is the longest-running jazz event of its kind in the country.

Having earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 1974, Davis continues to strengthen his music legacy. Jazzopera: Just Above My Head, written by Davis, had its world premiere in Pittsburgh in 2004. Davis’ latest CD, The Other Side of Morning, showcases his talents as composer, arranger, leader and multi-instrumentalist.

A member of the prestigious International Jazz Hall of Fame, Davis has received many awards and recognitions throughout his career. He is the creator of the University of Pittsburgh International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame and Sonny Rollins Jazz Archives and the editor of the International Jazz Archives Journal.

"Always believe in yourself and seek the truth. Your inner truth and belief in yourself will set you free and help you excel in everything you do," Davis says to young music lovers.