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.
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