OCC teacher wins creativity award An...

OCC teacher wins creativity award

An Orange Coast College music instructor, who worked his way from

the Harlem streets to legendary jazz acclaim, was honored with a very

prestigious award this week.

Art Davis, a 17-year OCC teacher, received the Award for

Creativity from the American Society of Composers, Authors and

Publishers. Davis earned the nod for a partly jazz, partly classical

and all original composition.

Davis -- a composer, musician, writer and acclaimed double bassist

-- performs locally with his own group, The Art Davis Quintet. The

Long Beach resident began playing the piano at age 5 and cultivated

his musical talents at the Juliard School of Music and Manhattan

School of Music.

While working in a small Harlem club in the late 1950s and ‘60s,

he met and worked with legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. He has

also jammed with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Max Roach, Count

Bassie, Dizzie Gillespie, Thelonious Monk Gil Evans and Quincy Jones.