Saratoga News

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Photograph by Mark Tantrum

Professional musician Mike Davis (right), a trombone player with the Rolling Stones, was in Saratoga recently to play in a special tribute concert for his father, Joe Davis. The elder Davis started the jazz orchestra at West Valley College, and his son played in the program as a college student.

Tootin' His Horn

Mike Davis performs in a special concert at West Valley College

By Shannon Burkey

Mike Davis is not sure how old he was the first time he picked up a musical instrument, but one thing is certain--he was born with music pumping through his blood. That was only natural considering that his father, Joe Davis, is also a musician who began playing the piano at age 5 and the trombone at 8.

"It must have had an impact on me," Mike Davis said of his father's musical talents. "I was always playing, and by the time I was in high school it seemed like a really cool thing to do."

At a very early age, Mike Davis was playing the piano, drums, bass and trombone while his father was working on a dream of his own--creating a jazz program at West Valley College and putting together the West Valley Jazz Orchestra.

It's been 35 years since then, and both men have had much success. Joe Davis is responsible for mentoring numerous jazz musicians in the Bay Area, including his own son, who took classes from him through the West Valley College jazz program. Since his retirement from the college in 2001, Joe Davis' legacy has lived on in the program there today.

"He single-handedly created the jazz studies program at West Valley College. And 90 percent of the people who were serious about and played jazz in the Bay Area during the '70s, '80s or '90s played for Joe Davis at some point," said Gus Kambeitz, director of the West Valley College jazz program. "He's a legend in the South Bay."

Mike Davis has also become somewhat of a legend since his days in Saratoga. After playing all sorts of instruments as a child, he finally settled on the trombone, like his father. His career has taken him all over the world to play with such legends as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan and Buddy Rich. He currently is a trombone player with the Rolling Stones, a job he has held for 12 years--jokingly calling that "lifetime employment" in the music industry.

"Playing with the Stones is the greatest job I've ever had," the younger Davis said. "They are incredibly good to work for and are very respectful of us as musicians."

When he is not playing in front of thousands of people for the Rolling Stones, Davis stays busy composing his own music and playing his own smaller shows.

"It keeps things in perspective," he said. "The best part is being involved in something I am passionate about. I know attorneys and investment bankers who can't wait to retire. The day I retire is the day I drop dead."

Despite the fact that he's a trombone player as well, Joe Davis is very surprised at his son's success with the instrument.

"Where he's concerned I just shake my head," Davis said of his son's career. "It's unbelievable. He has defied the odds."

When it comes to the world of jazz music, there are not always a lot of options, but according to the elder Davis, trombone players usually have it even tougher.

"I told Mike that the chances of making it as a trombone player were slim to none. That's just not going to happen," he said.

But when his son did make it happen, Davis could not have been more proud.

Music was always important to Joe Davis and he always wanted his son to have an appreciation for it. At a very young age, he would take his son with him to his various jobs as a jazz trombonist with the San Jose Symphony and the Santa Clara Symphony.

"From the time Mike was 3, he would sit alongside me in rehearsals," Davis said. "The conductors would be slightly upset but I would tell them, 'Don't worry about this kid.' They would be skeptical, but he wouldn't utter a peep. He was good as gold."

Taking him to rehearsals was a way for Davis to expose his son to music at an early age so that he could decide for himself if it was a path he wanted to follow.

"I wanted to give him a realistic approach to the music business," Joe Davis said. "I am absolutely blown away with where he has taken his career."

Mike Davis has never forgotten his father's teachings and credits him for a lot of his success. On Feb. 16 he once again played with the West Valley Jazz Orchestra in a tribute to his father and his work at the college.

"I am so happy to do this tribute to my dad, who had such a great musical influence on me and allowed me to do the things I wanted to do musically," Davis said.

Although it has been five years since Joe Davis left West Valley College, music is still a large part of his life. He now lives outside of Fresno where, at 72, he still plays weekly in the Clovis Community Orchestra.

"It's an opportunity for me to keep up the chops," Joe Davis joked.

Today, music continues to pump through the blood of the Davis family. Mike Davis' two young sons, Cole and Zach, are following in the footsteps of their father and grandfather and at young ages are becoming musicians themselves.

"Cole has perfect pitch and sometimes even corrects my pitch," Mike Davis said of his 10-year-old son, who plays the bass.

Zach, who is 6 and plays the trumpet, said he thinks playing music is really cool and plans to add the drums to his musical repertoire.

And like both their father and grandfather, the youngest Davis boys also plan to make music a lifelong career.

"I definitely plan on becoming a musician, and I know that I will play forever," Cole said.