Art Davis
b. Arthur D. Davis, 12 May 1934, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. Trained at the Juilliard and an active symphonic player, Davis was prominent in jazz from the late '50s, notably with Max Roach. He was occasionally involved with John Coltrane, appearing on AFRICA/BRASs and an unreleased sextet version of A LOVE SUPREMEalso involving Archie Shepp. In the late '60s Davis sued the New York Philharmonic over racial discrimination, which allegedly helped bring an end to a burgeoning career in session work and television orchestras; he was also reputed to be depressed at the state of jazz since Coltrane's passing. After studying psychology for several years—he received his doctorate in 1981—he began playing again, with artists including Arthur Blythe and David Murray, and produced teaching materials in book and cassette form.