Danny Davis/Nashville Brass
b. George Nowlan, 29 April 1925, Randolph, Massachusetts, USA.Davis, who calls himself a ‘Yankee Irishman’, bought his trumpetwith his earnings from a delivery round and he played in high school bands. At the age of 14he was performing with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. From the age of 17, he wasguesting with some of the best swing bands including Gene Krupa and Bob Crosbyand he recorded Trumpet Cha Cha. By 1958 he was working as a record producer and heproduced several of Connie Francis' hit singles. He also had success with Herman'sHermits and Johnny Tillotson. In 1965, he began working with Chet Atkins atRCA and he formed the Nashville Brass, which added brass to a pop-country rhythmsection: it was as though Herb Alpert was recording country music. Althoughsome country fans were reluctant to accept them, their albums sold well and they had UScountry hits including Wabash Cannonball and Columbus Stockade Blues. For sixconsecutive years, Danny Davis And The Nashville Brass were voted the InstrumentalBand Of The Year at the Country Music Association's awards, and they also won a Grammyin 1969 for their More Nashville Sounds album. In 1980 a curious album was released inwhich Davis added the Nashville Brass to some existing Willie Nelson tracks.The versions of Night Life and Funny How Time Slips Away both made the UScountry charts.