Fiscal Note
No expenditure is required.
Title
Honoring Richard Davis for his years of contributions to the cultural, artistic and civic life of Madison.
Body
WHEREAS Richard Davis has been a resident of Madison since 1977 and has invigorated the cultural life of the city; and
WHEREAS Richard is universally recognized as one of the most important bassists of the 20th and 21st Centuries, having been named as Best Bass Player in both the Critics’ and Readers’ Polls of Downbeat magazine for eight consecutive years; and
WHEREAS after establishing himself at the top of the music worlds of his native Chicago and New York City, he moved to Madison where he has taught classes on Jazz, African-American Music, and Improvisation at the University of Wisconsin since 1977; and
WHEREAS Richard was a valued collaborator with jazz greats including Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Dizzy Gillespie, Jaki Byard, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, Milt Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, and Ben Webster and was a key member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra; and
WHEREAS, Richard's mastery of classical music traditions is demonstrated by his performances with Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez, Gunther Schuller, and Leonard Bernstein; and
WHEREAS Richard’s versatility is demonstrated by his contributions to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Laura Nyro’s Smile, and Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon; and
WHEREAS Richard was honored in 2014 as a “Jazz Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts; and
WHEREAS Richard established the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists and has mentored bassists who have played with Jazz, Rock, Soul, Experimental and Salsa bands that have enlivened the dance floors of Madison; and
WHEREAS Richard’s Black Music Ensemble has been a source of enjoyment, inspiration and enlightenment to the Madison community; and
WHEREAS Richard is a tireless worker in the cause of cross-cultural awareness, help...
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