Dr Richard A Davies

Obituary Richard A. Davies Dr. Richard A. Davies, trombonist, performer, composer/arranger, and professor of music at SUNY Plattsburgh (the State University of New York), passed away quietly at home on Friday, December 4, 2015 after two years of war with pancreatic cancer. He had a profound effect on the musical community of Plattsburgh and has influenced the world through his musicianship, his sense of humor, and the work of his students. Rick Davies was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He began playing trombone at the age of nine, graduated from Rio Grande High School and then from the University of New Mexico with a degree in music. Rick came by his Latin sensibilities early on growing up in Albuquerque. During and following his years at the University of New Mexico, he performed and recorded with various Tex-Mex and R&B groups around the southwest and west coast. For 25 years he was active on the salsa, Caribbean, and jazz music scenes in New York City. He worked with a number of top artists including Tito Puente, Jaki Byard, Arrow, Johnny Colon, Charlie Palmieri, Mario Bauza, Conjunto Libre, Gloria Gaynor, Santiago Ceron, and many others. He recorded with the rock group Blondie, as well as with Michael Jackson, Mya, and Wyclef Jean. He also recorded with Skah Shah, Jeddx, and a number of other Caribbean bands. Davies also did live performance with Wyclef for President and Mrs. Clinton and at the Giants stadium Netaid concert. He filmed a VH1 Storytellers episode with Wyclef and the Refugee All-Stars. Davies traveled extensively with the Big Apple Circus and is featured on Jaki Byard's Phantasies II recording. An important influence on his creative sensibilities was his long time relationship with the internationally renowned group Salsa Picante led by pianist Wayne Gorbea. For over 20 years, Davies was trombone soloist, composer/arranger, and musical director for this popular salsa dura group. He performed on and supplied compositions and arrangements for six Salsa Picante CDs. He appeared with the band in Tokyo, Sydney, Budapest, Amsterdam, Great Britain, and Colombia. Davies' expertise in Afro-Cuban music was honed at New York University, where he received a Ph.D. in 1999. His dissertation research there resulted in, among other things, a book published by Scarecrow Press in 2003. The book, Trompeta: Chappottín, Chocolate, and the Afro-Cuban Trumpet Style, is a thorough study in the Cuban brass solo style. After relocating to New York's North Country in 2000 to join the faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh, he started a Latin jazz group (Jazzismo) and released two acclaimed CDs: Salsa Strut (with Arturo O'Farrill, Harvie S, Vince Cherico, etc.) and Siempre Salsa. Siempre Salsa was released in 2006 and featured many of the best Latin and jazz musicians of New York and nearby Vermont (pianist Tom Cleary, bassist John Rivers, and tenor saxophonist Alex Stewart). In 2011, Davies started a new group dedicated to performing NYC-style salsa dura. He named the group Salsa Norteña and recruited a number of musicians from the thriving Montreal Latin scene. Among them are singer/saxophonist Jorge "Papo" Ross (originally from the Dominican Republic) and Venezuelan percussionists Jonathan Maldonado and Neville "Pichi" Ainsley. Davies' third CD, Salsa Norteña, won the 2012 Independent Music Award for Best Latin Recording (http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/12th/Album/Latin). Chico Manqueros of Latin Jazz Club Magazine describes Davies' playing: "his line of attack is to play with a swing that is not only harmonic but also danceable." In discussing Davies' Latin trombone soloing, Chicago DJ El Caobo states: "during these parts of the song, I cannot resist the urge to dance." In 2013, Davies started yet another music group: Thugtet. He wrote a number of tunes for the band that blend salsa, funk, and jazz. In November of 2015, Davies began work on his fourth CD - Rick Davies and Thugtet. The band features New York and Vermont musicians. At the time of his demise, Dr. Davies was a full professor in the music department at SUNY Plattsburgh, where he served as chair (2008-2011) and was awarded the 2009 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Karen "Hildy" Hildebrand, his sister Carol Stephens and her husband Steve, their children Jessica and Robert, and the Raborn cousins in Albuquerque. A musical memorial to celebrate Rick will be held on Sunday, December 13, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Elks Club on Cumberland Avenue in Plattsburgh. Donations in lieu of flowers will be used for the completion of Rick's most recent recording project. Arrangements are entrusted to the Brown Funeral Home, 29 Broad St, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. (518)-561-3980. Online condolences may be made at www.brownfuneralhomeinc.com