Steve Davis (bass)

Steve Davis (1929–1987) was an American jazz double bassist best known for his brief but significant association with John Coltrane during the early formation of Coltrane’s independent quartet. Born in Philadelphia on March 14, 1929, Davis became active on the Philadelphia jazz scene before moving to New York. He was also known by his Muslim name, Luquaman Abdul Syeed. 

Davis joined Coltrane’s quartet in 1960, alongside pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones. The group recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York in October 1960, producing the material that became My Favorite Things. Davis played double bass on the album’s title track, as well as “Everytime We Say Goodbye,” “Summertime,” and “But Not for Me.” 

His playing on “My Favorite Things” became particularly notable because of the combination of Davis’s steady bass foundation with Coltrane’s extended exploration of the Rodgers and Hammerstein composition. The recording, made on October 21, 1960, presented Coltrane with Tyner, Davis, and Jones in the quartet that would soon evolve into his celebrated “classic quartet.” Davis remained with Coltrane only briefly; he was replaced by Reggie Workman and, subsequently, by Jimmy Garrison, who became the long-term bassist in the group. 

Beyond his work with Coltrane, Davis recorded with musicians including McCoy Tyner and Chuck and Gap Mangione. He appears on Tyner’s Nights of Ballads & Blues (1963), and his recorded work with Coltrane also includes the 1960 session for “Like Sonny,” with Tyner and drummer Billy Higgins. Davis died on August 21, 1987, at the age of 58. Although his period with Coltrane was relatively short, his bass playing is preserved on recordings from an important transitional moment in Coltrane’s development as a leader.

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