Billie Davies

Billie Davies
Billie Davies, female Avant Garde Jazz drummer
Background information
Born	(1955-12-10) December 10, 1955 Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium
Origin	Bruges, Flanders, Belgium
Genres	Jazz, Avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, drummer, composer
Instruments	Drums
Years active	Mid 1980s-present
Website	www.billiedavies.com

Billie Davies (born Billie Goegebeur, December 10, 1955, in Bruges) is an American female jazz drummer and composer best known for her avant garde and avant-garde jazz compositions since the mid-1990s, and her improvisational drumming techniques she has performed in Europe and in the United States.

Career

Billie Davies on the recording set of "all about Love." at Bedrock LA

Billie Davies was born in Brugge, Belgium, and mostly grew up on the Belgian Coast, Europe, at the North Sea. Her grandfather, Maurice Clybouw, was the first influence in her life to introduce her to the drums when Billie was about three years old. She has had a love relationship with rhythm and drums ever since. "Davies is mostly an autodidact whose natural talent, relentless, explorative spirit and multifaceted experiences have led to an innovative approach to jazz."^[1] "With a background in Classical and Jazz and a lifetime of musical experiences in jams, performances, recordings and music production, the listener is treated to jazz inclinations within her ensembles that bristle with cutting-edge freshness."^[2] Billie has played Jazz, Avant-garde jazz, and Avant-Jazz with Leroy Vinnegar, John Handy, Joe Fuentes, Saul Kaye (on Cobra Basemento, Dreams), Michael Godwin (on Cobra Basemento, Dreams), Lee Elfenbein (on Dreams), Drew Waters, Pierre Swärd, Tom Bone Ralls (on all about Love.), Manny Silvera, Oliver Steinberg (on all about Love.), Daniel Coffeng (on 12 VOLT), Adam Levy (on 12 VOLT) et al. and had guest appearances all over the West Coast. It is these experiences that have shaped Billie into the intuitive and inventive drummer she is today.

"Davies is not countering the modern jazz movement so much but rather stripping it down to its essence. When listening to Davies play, it's easier to think of her not as a drummer but a tonal painter who swipes brushstrokes with her drumsticks."^[3]

"Billie Davies is bringing something radically new to the idiom of modern jazz in various ways which, in its purest essence, incorporates everything in its collective subconscious amalgam that has come before. It draws influences and ideas from both classical music and jazz in a modern and unique way which would appeal to audiences and aficionados of both these types of music. Besides these two major exponents it also encompasses what's referred to as "world music" (Indian, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, South American and European ethnic music). Billie Davies music is unapologetically moving in the direction of "true art" and plays with colors, moods, movements, feelings and interactions, a paradoxically more advanced concept of expression."^[4]

At a crossroads in her musical career, Billie ended up receiving a grant from Max Roach to come study at Berklee College of Music, this was after he heard one of her tapes she laid down with a bass player in Montpellier, France. Billie was however having too much fun in the south of France, living the life of a gypsy jazz musician and therefore decided not to take the offer. In his words: “Hearing from your tape, you could learn more fundamental drumming techniques, but I also hear the natural drummer, so my advice is for you not to worry too much about your technical skill, you will develop your own, I can definitely hear that, but just in case that you might want to study in a good program, please accept my invitation in the form of a talent grant to come study at the Berklee College of Music, all you need to worry about is finding a place to live and some money to survive."

Aged 25 Davies made the transition to become a professional musician. Some of her influences stem from classical, gypsy, manouche, blues, jazz, free jazz and soul/funk. As a player she feels that Al Foster, Billy Higgins, Billy Cobham, Jack De Johnette, Ed Thigpen, and Peter Erskine have been her biggest influences, she learned from them extensively. Becoming completely immersed into the jazz, free jazz and avant garde world, which is second nature for her stylistically, three years later, she was a professional drummer, and the rest is history... She performed throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, France "A Revelation for her was meeting with legendary guitarist Ricardo Baliardo, but known by his stage name Manitas de Plata, as well as playing with bluesman Claude Mazet – both guitarists also respected the traditional rhythmic rules. Even with the Roma, she lived several years in their way of life, which her bohemian temper satisfied so that at twenty-five she refused the offer of the legendary drummer Max Roach to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, after he heard her play in Montpellier on the street.",^[5] Italy, Northern Africa, Spain, Portugal and Greece for the next 7 years. She knew her love of drumming had become her life.

A move to the United States at age 32 gave her an opportunity to record two albums, Cobra Basemento and Dreams with Saul Kaye on guitar and Michael Godwin on bass, as well as becoming a US Citizen. In 2009, she made Los Angeles, California her home base and in 2011, in Hollywood, she began writing for her new album all about Love. and started the process of choosing musicians to develop her sound for the album. In June 2012 she independently released all about Love. with Tom Bone Ralls on trombone and Oliver Steinberg on bass. In August 2012, she began writing all original material for her album 12 VOLT and began her search for the right musicians. In April 2013, Davies recorded 12 VOLT with Daniel Coffeng on guitar and Adam Levy on bass. It was published in September 2013 and released on October 10, 2013.^[6] In March of 2014 she moved her operations to New Orleans where she since permanently resides and works as a New Orleans Musician. <ref name=Glinda Mantle">Glinda Mantle. "Award Winning, Belgium Born Jazz Drummer Leaves Career in California for a Career in New Orleans!". billiedavies.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2014-07-07. </ref>

Accolades

Billie Davies during the 12 VOLT recordings, by Inez Lewis

Her third release after a hiatus of six years was all about Love., which had a surprising result on the CMJ Jazz College Radio Charts and achieved the #1 top jazz add in new album adds.^[7] all about Love. went on to stay in the Top 40 jazz for four consecutive weeks. CMJ Top 40 JAZZ:

1. 1 CMJ Top Jazz Adds CMJ issue #1262 – Aug 23, 2012.^[7]
2. 28 CMJ Top 40 Jazz Chart issue #1263 – Aug 29, 2012.^[8]
3. 14 CMJ Top 40 Jazz Chart issue #1264 – Sep 6, 2012.^[9]
4. 14 CMJ Top 40 Jazz Chart issue #1265 – Sep 13, 2012.
5. 20 CMJ Top 40 Jazz Chart issue #1265 – Sep 20, 2012.^[10]

all about Love. was also very well received in Canada where the album ended up in the Top 10 on three different !Earshot Jazz charts.

1. 5 !Earshot Jazz National Jazz Charts w/e Sep 25, 2012.^[11]
2. 2 !Earshot Jazz CJSW 90.9 MHz – Calgary Jazz w/e Sep 25, 2012.^[12]
3. 8 !Earshot Jazz CJSR 88.5 MHz – Edmonton Jazz w/e Nov 20, 2012.^[13]

One year later, after finishing 12 VOLT, she received a nomination for "Jazz Artist of the Year" at the 23rd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards on September 26, 2013.^[14][15]

She is the recipient of the "Jazz Artist" Award for 2013 by the 23rd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards on November 14, 2013.^[16]

Billie Davies receiving the 2013 "Jazz Artist" of the year Award at the 23rd LA Music Awards held at AVALON, Hollywood.

Her music has been receiving attention by jazz reviewers, critics and jazz radio stations since her comeback to the jazz scene in 2011.^{[6][17][18][19]}

Discography

As leader

• 2004: Cobra Basemento (Self Released) with Saul Kaye, Michael Godwin
• 2005: Dreams (Self Released) with Saul Kaye, Michael Godwin, Lee Elfenbein
• 2012: all about Love. (Cobra Basement) with Tome Bone Ralls on trombone, Oliver Steinberg on upright bass and electric bass
• 2013: 12 VOLT (Cobra Basement) with Daniel Coffeng on electric guitar, Adam Levy on upright bass

References

External links

• Official webpage of Billie Davies