Biography: Rick Davies

Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Rick Davies moved to New York City in the late 1970s and worked there a musician for more than twenty years before joining the faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2000.  Davies has primarily focused his creative efforts in the areas of salsa, Latin jazz, and Afro-Caribbean music. 

On the salsa, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin jazz scenes, he has performed with many artists and groups (Tito Puente, Johnny Colon, Charlie Palmieri, Marc Anthony, Skah Shah, Ti Manno, Tabou Combo, Arrow, Rey Reyes, Johnny Ray, Manny Oquendo's Libre, etc.) and recorded on over one hundred albums.  For over a decade, he was the musical director of Wayne Gorbea's Salsa Picante, performing, composing and arranging works for the group's popular recordings.  A long association with Jackie Byard and his Apollo Stompers is one highlight of Davies' mainstream jazz credits.  He is featured on Byard's Phantasies II recording.

Davies remains very active as a performer.  He has recorded with the rock group Blondie as well as with Michael Jackson and Wyclef Jean.  Davies also did live appearances with Wyclef for President and Mrs. Clinton and at the Giants stadium Netaid concert.  He also filmed a VH1 Storytellers episode with Wyclef and the Refugee All-Stars.  Other popular artists he has performed and/or traveled with include Bo Diddley, Gloria Gaynor, Tony Bennett, and Rosemary Clooney.

 Davies has traveled extensively with the Big Apple Circus, and appears regularly with Salsa Picante in New York City and around the world (Great Britain, Japan, Hungary, Germany, Holland, South America, etc.).  Davies is the leader of the Burlington, VT based Latin jazz band Jazzismo and recently released (2006) his second album of original compositions called Siempre Salsa.  Siempre Salsa has received widespread global airplay and selections from the CD have been listed on Latin music top ten listings in such diverse places as Italy, Japan, and Colombia.  His first album Salsa Strut was released in 2001 and featured  Arturo O'Farrill, Harvie S, Vince Cherico, Juan Rodriguez, and the late Sam Furnace.

As a scholar, Davies has written several monographs, chapters, and articles primarily about Afro-Cuban music and salsa.  His book, Trompeta: Chappottín, Chocolate, and Afro-Cuban Trumpet Style, was released in May 2003 by Scarecrow Press.  He contributed a chapter on Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros to Music From Cuba (Praeger Press, 2001).  Other articles he has written include "The Cuban Sonero: Beny Moré and Miguelito Cuní,"  "Miguelito Valdés, the First Salsa Superstar," "The Latin Jazz Continuum," and "Americanizing the Eurocentric Music Curriculum".

Davies received a Ph.D. from New York University in 1999 (his dissertation was on Cuban brass performance).  He is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Plattsburgh State University of New York (SUNY).

 This page was last updated on December 19, 2007