Scorpio Rising – Walter Davis, Jr
A wild medium-up swing with a strong rhythmic pulse to get your heart racing!
- Recording: Walter Davis, Jr. - Scorpio Rising
- Recorded on: June 27, 1989
- Label: SteepleChase (SCS 1225)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Piano - Walter Davis, Jr.
- Bass - Santi Debriano
- Drums - Ralph Peterson
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Don Sickler writes, "Walter Davis, Jr., loved to play this piece to get his adrenaline going. I originally put 'Uptempo swing' on the lead sheet, because this composition certainly has a lot of energy, but it won't work going too fast. So I changed the notation to 'Medium up swing.'"
Our excerpt starts with the intro, which is also played after the AABA melody format before the first solo chorus, and as the Coda ending. All solos are in the 32-measure AABA format.
Our excerpt starts with the intro, which is also played after the AABA melody format before the first solo chorus, and as the Coda ending. All solos are in the 32-measure AABA format.
Walter first recorded this piece in 1977 in a trio context with Buster Williams on bass, and Art Blakey on drums (the "Illumination" album for Denon Records). In late 1979 he recorded it twice again, both on solo piano: first in Milan, Italy, for Red Records; and then in Paris, France, for Owl Records. In 1989, a little over a month before our recording, he also recorded it with the Moscow-Washington Jazz Summit, where he played the melody in a trio context, then opened it up for a horn solo.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Walter was a frequent visitor and performer at the Second Floor Music/jazzleadsheets.com rehearsal studio on 28th Street in Manhattan. His commanding and dynamic personality shook the floorboards as he related stories from his "life on the road" with drummer Philly Joe Jones. Walter, and of course, Philly Joe, were in Joe's "Dameronia" band, which performed the music of Tadd Dameron. Don Sickler was one of the transcribers, a performer, and rehearsed the band.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Walter was a frequent visitor and performer at the Second Floor Music/jazzleadsheets.com rehearsal studio on 28th Street in Manhattan. His commanding and dynamic personality shook the floorboards as he related stories from his "life on the road" with drummer Philly Joe Jones. Walter, and of course, Philly Joe, were in Joe's "Dameronia" band, which performed the music of Tadd Dameron. Don Sickler was one of the transcribers, a performer, and rehearsed the band.
Walter Davis, Jr
September 2, 1932 – June 2, 1990
Walter's piano playing was influenced strongly by Bud Powell, and he had that Bud Powell energy in his piano playing. Like many of the other talented players coming up in the 1950s, Walter's ears were wide open to everything good. For example, he listened to Stravinsky with Bird and Dizzy, and in later years, you could find Walter hanging with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. Read more...