Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis stands among the foremost composers of the late twentieth century, extending his reach from jazz into modern classical realms even as he has produced a number of strong jazz recordings. Classical training began in his childhood, culminating in a Yale degree awarded in 1975. He belonged to the New Dalta Ahkri from 1974 to 1977 under the leadership of Leo Smith, then relocated to New York in 1977, where he performed alongside Oliver Lake, Anthony Braxton, Chico Freeman, George Lewis, and Leroy Jenkins’ trio through 1979 while maintaining regular associations with James Newton and Abdul Wadud. In 1981 Davis assembled the octet Episteme, an ensemble devoted to both spontaneous improvisation and fully notated works. Early in the 1980s he completed the opera X, drawn from the life of Malcolm X, and served on the faculty at Yale. His recordings have appeared on the India Navigation, Red, Sackville, and Gramavision labels.