Biography
Meyer Davis ranked among the pioneering figures in dance band contracting, providing ensembles to country clubs and hotels across a span exceeding thirty years. He sustained his performances up to the period just preceding his passing in 1976, yet gained primary recognition through the multiple iterations of the Meyer Davis Orchestra that he arranged for events and festivities along the eastern seaboard. In partnership with competing agent Lester Lanin, Davis dominated society music across Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston during the 1950s and 1960s.
Davis established his initial ensemble in 1915 and oversaw hotel orchestras in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia by the 1920s. During a 1963 discussion, he stated, "What we provide is an atmosphere….of orchestrated pulse which works on people in a subliminal way."
Meyer Davis adapted his musical approach despite his prominence in the big band period, releasing the rock-oriented recording Meyer Davis Plays The Twist during the early 1960s and the collection of classic show tunes titled Meyer Davis Plays Cole Porter in 1973.
Davis established his initial ensemble in 1915 and oversaw hotel orchestras in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia by the 1920s. During a 1963 discussion, he stated, "What we provide is an atmosphere….of orchestrated pulse which works on people in a subliminal way."
Meyer Davis adapted his musical approach despite his prominence in the big band period, releasing the rock-oriented recording Meyer Davis Plays The Twist during the early 1960s and the collection of classic show tunes titled Meyer Davis Plays Cole Porter in 1973.