Kevin Davy
Kevin Davy (born Nottingham 29 October 1961) is a British jazz trumpeter and Flugel Horn player based in London. He is best known for his work with Lamb, with his own groups KDQ (Kevin Davy Quartet)and D'Semble, as a bandleader and sideman, in drum 'n' bass and especially trip hop genres and in improv and theatrical settings. He was awarded the Manchester Jazz musician of the year award 1992 by BBC Radio Manchester show 'The People'.[1]
Davy started playing at the age of 14 and quickly progressed to lead trumpet in the 2nd Nottingham Boy's Brigade Band (which later became the British champion drum corps band, The Red Devils, under the directorship of J. W. Garton). Throughout the eighties Davy gained musical experience in brass bands such as the Carlton Silver (Nottingham)and also jazz/swing bigbands in the region. He studied trumpet under Gerald Douglas, and Sarah Theobald. He also sang bass in choral music, in the church and also in the Clarendon College choir.
By 1990 Davy gained a DipHE (Diploma of Higher Education), and a BA in General Arts (Humanities) from Manchester Polytechnic, while there he attended the weekly jazz improvisation workshops of Colin Stansfield in the adjacent All Saints College. Davy led several band lineups in Manchester, and also conducted open jam sessions involving participants of all levels. These ran for more than eight years.
Davy first met Andy Barlow and Lou Rhodes of Lamb, both attending the Kevin Davy's Monster Jam, at Band on the Wall during the 1995/96 season.
Davy had already moved to London to take up trumpet chair at the Donmar Warehouse production of the Kurt Weill/ Bertolt Brecht The Threepenny Opera in 1994, and was well placed to work in the emerging drum 'n' bass and especially trip hop genres. He worked with Lamb from 1996-2000, playing on Lamb's first two albums, and touring extensively, during which time he worked with producers Adam F, and Sugizo.
From October 2008 to March 2009, Kevin Davy held the trumpet chair, with the celebrated touring circus show: Afrika Afrika.
Since this period Davy, has continued to develop his own writing and producing in his own group KDQ (Kevin Davy Quartet). He has worked with jazz musicians, such as Sangoma Everett (US-based in France), Doudou Gouirand (France), Paul Shigihara (Japanese-German), Pibo Marquez (Venezuela), Roman Rauhut (Poland), and Krzesimir Dębski (Poland), and Claude Deppa (South Africa), and has worked as part of Crass Agenda. He has toured internationally with the celebrated vocalist; Finley Quaye. Davy continues to collaborate musically with innovative contemporary musicians in the jazz and improv. genres.
Discography
- Savage Utopia - Crass Agenda (Babel Label, 2004)
- Grand Cross - Sugizo (Polydor (Japan only), 1999)