BK Davis' Audacity Blues Tour at the Redstone Room -- August 5.
Saturday, August 5, 7 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
With his recent album Invisible Secret delivering what One Nation News deemed "lush, Latin inflected works that reflect jazz through a prism of salsa," beloved Steinway Artist and Quad Cities native Byron "BK" Davis brings his Audacity Blues Tour to Common Chord's Redstone Room on August 5, the Davenport venue treating audiences to the musical gifts of an accomplished sextet led by the master pianist who boasts more than four decades of professional accomplishments.
Born and raised in Davenport, Davis is an all-embracing, global, Latin-jazz and soul artist whose music includes songs in Spanish and Arabic, and although he's hesitant to label it too much, the pianist's music director offered the phrase “a joyful expression of Latin-inspired jazz and R&B.” Davis comes from a truly musical household. His father Bishop Ezekiel Davis recruited him as a teen to serve as musical director for the seven churches he oversaw, while his mother Rose Davis, an accomplished vocalist, attended to his vocal and instrumental training. Davis is a multi-instrumentalist who plays more than a dozen instruments besides the piano, including guitar, organ, and drums. Jazz, R&B, gospel, soul, and pop are the genres that propelled Davis to travels around the world, and his artistry enticed promoters in Europe, Japan, North America, and on the high seas to book him for concert engagements.
The Steinway International Artist designation is an honor bestowed on pianists with an impressive body of work, and Davis -- who has been composing and performing music for 40 year -- can boast Steinway peers including legends such as Elton John, Billy Joel, Harry Connick, Jr., and Herbie Hancock. Beyond his tour engagements and albums, Davis has written theme music and jingles for the Boy Scouts of America and an Indianapolis 500 race, and has also directed choirs throughout the Midwest and West Coast. Davis has played or toured with artists including B.B. King, Billy Preston, Gerald Albright, Michael “Patches” Stewart, and the late soul legend Johnnie Taylor, and he also co-wrote original music with rock and roll legend Little Richard, as well as the R&B duo McFadden and Whitehead. His present tour finds Davis performing alongside a quintet of esteemed blues talents: guitarist Tom Nelson, bassist Terry O'Brien, saxophone player David Sharpe, harmonica player Raymond Smith, and drummer Dave Trautner.
BK Davis' Audacity Blues Tour lands at the Redstone Room on August 5, admission to the all-seated, limited-capacity concert is $15, and more information and reservations are available by calling (563)326-1333 and visiting CommonChordQC.org.
