Christopher Davidson

Ever since moving to New York in 2009, Chris Davidson has become an increasingly significant drummer and bandleader in the Big Apple’s music scene. The upcoming release of his recording debut as a leader, From This Moment On, features the young drummer at the head of his own trio, playing creative and forward-looking jazz. Rather than just keeping time and taking solos, Chris has a musical conversation with guitarist Rotem Sivan and bassist Nadav Lachish throughout this high-quality and consistently intriguing set of modern jazz. He approaches the drums as a melodic instrument, thinking of each performance as a whole rather than just as a vehicle for individual heroics. Chris Davidson was born in Manhattan and grew up in Connecticut. He began playing drums at the age of 8 and played in his first band in elementary school. “A friend wanted to play some music together and asked me if I played any instruments. I lied and said that I played the drums. When I sat behind a drum set for the first time, I fell in love with it and have been playing ever since.” Chris mostly listened to punk and rock music at the time including Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and a lot of hip hop. He played in rock, r&b and reggae bands as a teenager. However he became interested in jazz during his first year of attending Five Towns College. “I had a guitarist friend who was very interested in the blues player Robert Johnson and John Coltrane. After he introduced me to John Coltrane’s later stuff including Interstellar Space. I explored Coltrane’s earlier recordings, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and many others. When I discovered jazz, I realized that there were many ways to play the drums and it opened up a whole new world for me.” At Five Towns College Chris studied harmony, started playing piano, and worked on improvising in ensembles. He actually earned a business degree while studying music on the side. However after moving to New York in 2009 and enrolling at the New School for Jazz And Contemporary Music, he chose to stick exclusively to music. Among his most important instructors, both in school and privately, were Kendrick Scott, Reggie Workman, Jane Ira Bloom, Leann Ledgerwood, Ali Jackson, Charlie Persip, Art Hoenig, Billy Martin and Andrew Cyrille. In addition to his work as a leader and sideman on drums, Chris has also freelanced as a pianist, he enjoys singing, writes his own material, arranges for all types of musical ensembles and is a teacher.

Chris Davidson’s new CD From This Moment On is an excellent representation of where he is musically at the moment. Throughout this project, he puts a fresh twist on a variety of classic songs. He met both the Israeli guitarist Rotem Sivan and bassist Nadav Lachish at the New School. “I really like Rotem’s approach to rhythm, composition and his use of delicate and rought textures that he gets from the guitar. Nadav has lots of great ideas that happen right on the spot, has a very strong bass sound, and a time feel that I find is effortless for me to lock up with as a drummer. I had one gig with these players and I knew immediately that this was the band with whom I wanted to record. This recording was as organic as possible and it was very spontaneous. We recorded all of the music in one day in the same room. Both of these great musicians made big contributions to mold the songs with me during the rehearsals and I really love the outcome.” From This Moment On starts off with Jobim’s “How Insensitive” which is inspired by the groove made famous by Ahmad Jamal on “Poinciana.” It has some sensitive playing by the trio that makes every expressive note count. Wayne Shorter’s “Fee Fi Fo Fum,” which is taken in 7/8 time, becomes a group improv with all three of the musicians playing democratically. A relaxed and thoughtful version of “Moon River” has Rotem leaving a lot of space in his melody statement, letting the music breathe. “From This Moment On” uses an unusual bass line during part of the song while cooking hard during the bridge. Rotem has one of his hottest guitar solos of the date. This version of “Stompin’ At The Savoy” is inspired by drummer Roy Haynes’ version of “Love Letters.” It is taken at a lazy pace and gives the trio an opportunity to stretch out as a slower-than-expected tempo. Both Freddie Hubbard’s “Prophet Jennings” and Jimmy Heath’s Gingerbread Boy” find the trio inspired by the mid-1960s Miles Davis Quintet, creating adventurous music that is also accessible. The CD concludes with a reinvented version of the ballad “Darn That Dream.” From This Moment On is scheduled to be released in December. In the meantime Chris Davidson is looking ahead. “In addition to playing jazz which I love, I have also been working on a singer/songwriter project where I am playing piano, writing original material, and collaborating with others. My music will always have a modern jazz feel to it. For the future, I look forward to writing new music, exploring new ideas, expanding myself and performing my music for audiences.” Chris Davidson clearly has a great future. From This Moment On is an important first step in his evolution. Show less