Art Davis, Coltrane’s favorite bassist, dies at 73

By I Aug. 6, 2007

Art Davis, a genre-hopping double bassist who played both classical and jazz music, has died at age 73. Davis died of a heart attack Sunday at his home in Long Beach, Calif., his son Kimaili Davis said.

Davis is best known for his collaboration with saxophonist John Coltrane, performing on the albums Ascension, The Africa/Brass Sessions Vol. 1 and 2 and Ole Coltrane.

Coltrane considered Davis his favorite bassist. Jazz critic Nat Hentoff described Davis as “an astonishing player” and “beyond category.”

Davis played with with a long and varied list of artists, including Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, John Denver, the trio Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan.

In the world of classical music, he was known for speaking up about racism, and for launching a legal case that led to increased use of the so-called blind audition, in which musicians are heard but not seen by those evaluating them for jobs.