Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

Two settings that featured the gruff, passionate, excitable and swinging sounds of tenorman Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis were the saxophonist's own organ trios and the Count Basie Orchestra, for which Davis was one of the band's star soloists. On this program, we feature examples of both settings as well as a rare melding of those two worlds that was assembled for a 1957 record date for which Basie made a rare sideman appearance. Basie scholar Chris Sheridan notes that the pianist appeared on this date in order to thank Davis for his work with his band, "relaunching the saxophonist on his own bandleading career with the trio that he had been heading prior to joining the Count... (featuring organist) Shirley Scott and bassist George Duvivier." Basie and Scott's keyboard jousts help make this session a sheer delight.

• 
•