Wild Bill Davis was a jazz organist, pianist, composer and arranger, who pioneered the use of the electric organ in jazz during the early 1950s prior to the emergence of Jimmy Smith.

He is also well-known for the recordings he made as a pianist/arranger for Louis Jordan’s Tympani Five during the late ‘40s. This 46-track set features recordings which were released on the Okeh, Epic, Imperial and Everest label, and includes selected A- and B-sides of singles, along with titles from the albums Here’s Wild Bill Davis, On The Loose, At Birdland and Evening Concerto on Epic, On Broadway on Imperial, and My Fair Lady, Flying High and Organ Grinders Swing, on Everest. A number of extended performances from his noted At Birdland ‘live’ album are featured here.

It features performances with his various trio members, who were guitarists Bill Jennings, Floyd Smith and Calvin Newborn, drummers Christopher Columbus, Joe Morris, Jo Jones, and Grady Tate, bassist  Milt Hinton and tenor saxophonists Maurice Simon and George Clarke. Ranging across a variety of jazz styles and mainstream repertoire, it’s a varied and entertaining showcase for his highly distinctive style.

REVIEWS

This is a very rewarding collection, and as something of an agnostic where the Hammond organ is concerned, I must admit to b eing on the road to conversion, if not quite there yet. - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 351)

CD1
1    Eyesight To The Blind    Wild Bill Davis Trio
2    Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em Rough, Tell Them Nothing    Wild Bill Davis Trio
3    Azure Te [Paris Blues]    Wild Bill Davis Trio
4    Ooh-Ah-De-De-De    Wild Bill Davis Trio
5    April In Paris    Wild Bill Davis Trio
6    Bring The Money In    Wild Bill Davis Trio
7    Pompton Turnpike    Wild Bill Davis Trio
8    Rhapsody In Blue    Wild Bill Davis Trio
9    The Jitterbug Waltz    Wild Bill Davis Trio
10    Come Rain Or Come Shine    Wild Bill Davis Trio
11    Theme From "The Joe Louis Story"    Wild Bill Davis Trio
12    Passion Flower    Wild Bill Davis Trio
13    I Ain't Feeling So Good    Wild Bill Davis Trio
14    Nice Work If You Can Get It    Wild Bill Davis Trio
15    Don't Get Around Much Anymore    Wild Bill Davis Trio
16    East Of The Sun    Wild Bill Davis Trio
17    Lullaby Of Birdland    Wild Bill Davis Trio
18    Jumpin' At The Woodside    Wild Bill Davis Trio
19    Things Ain't What They Used To Be    Wild Bill Davis Trio
20    Linger Awhile    Wild Bill Davis Trio
21    Make No Mistake    Wild Bill Davis Trio
22    Indian Summer    Wild Bill Davis Trio

CD2
1    Without A Song    Wild Bill Davis Trio
2    Chicken Gumbo    Wild Bill Davis Trio
3    Night Train    Wild Bill Davis Trio
4    Land Of Dreams    Wild Bill Davis Trio
5    Love For Sale    Wild Bill Davis Trio
6    Trees    Wild Bill Davis Trio
7    Danny Boy    Wild Bill Davis Trio
8    I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart    Wild Bill Davis Trio
9    Perdido    Wild Bill Davis Trio
10    Autumn Leaves    Wild Bill Davis Trio
11    Wild Blues    Wild Bill Davis Trio
12    Get Me To The Church On Time    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
13    On The Street Where You Live    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
14    Low Bottom    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
15    I Want A Little Girl    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
16    Blues For Joe    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
17    Cabato    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
18    Round Midnight    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
19    Organ Grinders Swing    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
20    Flying Home    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
21    In A Mellow Tone    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
22    Boogie Woogie    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
23    Blues For Barbara    Wild Bill Davis Quartet
24    Deep Echo    Wild Bill Davis Quartet