Jazz Articles about Steve Davis

About Steve Davis

Album Review

Ben Markley Big Band: Tuesday Morning Feeling

Read "Tuesday Morning Feeling" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 24, 2026

When a bandleader says he plans to rely less on arranging the music of others to focus more on his own compositions and charts, the usual response is a prolonged sigh or indifferent shrug of the shoulders --which makes it all the more remarkable that when pianist and composer Ben Markley did exactly that on Tuesday Morning Blues, the third recording by the Colorado-based Ben Markley Big Band, the finished product demands not a sigh or shrug but a straight-from-the-heart ...

Album Review

Nat Reeves: Now In Time

Read "Now In Time" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 17, 2026

As a gift for Nat Reeves' 70th birthday in May 2025, Ken Kitchings, owner of the Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, said he would underwrite a recording for the renowned bassist using whatever musicians Reeves chose to recruit. Having played and recorded with a who's who of jazz luminaries during his 50-plus-year career, Reeves knew exactly where to go and who to contact. Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, a longtime colleague, was an obvious choice, as ...

Album Review

Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

Read "Decidedly so" reviewed by David A. Orthmann

by David A. Orthmann
April 15, 2026

The front-line alliance of trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and trombonist Steve Davis is one of the distinguishing features of Decidedly So, Magnarelli's 2026 release in an impressive string of releases as a leader. Magnarelli and Davis interact in ways that reflect decades of experience in playing modern, straight-ahead jazz. The two brass instruments work together and respond to one another during eight tracks that include Latin-tinged hard bop, moderate and up-tempo swingers, a couple of ballads, and a brisk blues. Their ...

Album Review

Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

Read "Decidedly so" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
February 6, 2026

Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has been a bright light on the New York-area jazz scene for four decades, since arriving in the city in 1986 from his native Syracuse, NY. On Decidedly So, his eighteenth recording and third for Cellar Music, Magnarelli ushers a top-drawer quintet through its paces in a pleasing session that encompasses a trio of standards and five original compositions, including four of his own. The only fresh theme not written by Magnarelli is the album's ...

Album Review

Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

Read "Decidedly so" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
February 3, 2026

Joe Magnarelli's Decidedly So strongly reaffirms the enduring virtues of straight-ahead jazz, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where these qualities have long been valued. Brought to life in March 2025 before a small but attentive audience, the session benefits from a rare blend of relaxed confidence and deliberate swing that can only come from musicians who know exactly who they are and what they cherish. Joined by trombonist Steve Davis and a top-tier rhythm section ...

Album Review

Jason Forsythe: It's About Time

Read "It's About Time" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
December 7, 2025

Trombonist and composer Jason Forsythe's debut recording as a composer, It's About Time, acts as both a declaration and a reflection: a declaration that his extensive apprenticeship with New York's jazz and Latin bands has cultivated a distinctive compositional voice, and a reflection of the various stylistic influences that have shaped his artistry. The nine-track album, performed by a top-tier sextet featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer ...

Album Review

James Danderfer: If Not Now

Read "If Not Now" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
November 12, 2025

Clarinetist James Danderfer's If Not Now showcases warmth and craftsmanship. It is the kind of album that affirms jazz's enduring ability to blend tradition with personal expression. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Englewood Cliffs studio on November 4, 2024, the album features a select group including Steve Davis on trombone, Cory Weeds on tenor saxophone, Atley King on vibraphone, Miki Yamanaka on piano, Tyrone Allen II on bass, and drummer Kush Abadey. All nine compositions are by Danderfer, forming ...