Leonard Davis
Leonard "Ham" Davis (July 4, 1905 in St. Louis, Missouri – 1957) was an American jazz trumpeter. Davis began his career in St. Louis, playing with the Odd Fellows Boys' Band as a teenager and landing a spot in Charlie Creath's band. Late in the 1920s, he relocated to New York City, where he played in the bands of Edgar Hayes and Arthur Gibbs. He recorded for the first time with Eddie Condon's ensemble in 1929, and sat in with McKinney's Cotton Pickers that same year. In the 1930s he played with Benny Carter, Don Redman, and Elmer Snowden, and did a two-year stint in Louis Armstrong's orchestra starting in 1935. Toward the end of the decade he toured Europe with Edgar Hayes and played in the Blackbirds revue in New York City. Davis joined Sidney Bechet's revival group in 1940, and also played in bands led by Maurice Hubbard, Albert Socarras, and George James. He continued performing in small-time settings in New York through the mid-1950s. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 4, 1905 (St. Louis), Died 1957
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1938
Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 70 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-38115 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Paradise wobble | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-38116 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Birmingham black bottom | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-38117 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Don't you leave me here | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-47530 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Gettin' away from me | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-47531 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | The boy in the boat | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-47532 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Walk that thing | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-48345 | 10-in. | 2/8/1929 | I'm gonna stomp Mr. Henry Lee | Eddie's Hot Shots | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-48346 | 10-in. | 2/8/1929 | That's a serious thing | Eddie's Hot Shots | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-51298 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Harlem drag | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-51299 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Hot bones and rice | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-53600 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Mo'lasses | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57064 | 10-in. | 11/5/1929 | Plain dirt | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57065 | 10-in. | 11/5/1929 | Gee, ain't I good to you | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57066 | 10-in. | 11/6/1929 | I'd love it | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57067 | 10-in. | 11/6/1929 | The way I feel today | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57068 | 10-in. | 11/6/1929 | Miss Hannah | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57139 | 10-in. | 11/7/1929 | Peggy | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57140 | 10-in. | 11/7/1929 | Wherever there's a will, baby | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Don Redman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57926 | 10-in. | 12/18/1929 | Lookin' for another sweetie | Fats Waller’s Buddies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57927 | 10-in. | 12/18/1929 | Ridin' but walkin' | Fats Waller’s Buddies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57928 | 10-in. | 12/18/1929 | Won't you get off it please | Fats Waller’s Buddies | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BVE-57929 | 10-in. | 12/18/1929 | When I'm alone | Fats Waller’s Buddies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
OKeh | 9036 | 10-in. | Mar. 1925 | Discouraged blues | Bertha Henderson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
OKeh | 9037 | 10-in. | Mar. 1925 | Jamboree blues | Bertha Henderson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Decca | 60021 | 10-in. | 10/3/1935 | I'm in the mood for love | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Davis, Leonard," accessed October 13, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112286.
Davis, Leonard. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 13, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112286.
"Davis, Leonard." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 13 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Davis, Leonard, 1905-1957 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2004004422
Wikidata: Leonard "Ham" Davis - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16960369
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/61749269
MusicBrainz: Leonard "Ham" Davis - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c4edc877-f1d8-4803-8141-cae1d3ab4c97
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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