Meyer Davis

Meyer Davis

Source: Travalanche

There was a time when Saturday night meant dancing to the orchestra at your nearest hotel. Hotel dance bands which played music popular in their era are lumped not quite correctly under jazz at the VF History. I've neglected their more proper demarcation between popular and jazz because they often meshed, as in swing, and many jazz musicians worked in such bands. Though neither a composer nor musician, though acquainted with the violin, one early leader of the hotel dance band was Meyer Davis who was born on 10 Jan of 1893 near Washington DC in Ellicot City, Maryland. Meyer formed his first band in 1915. That became the outfit to perform at the Chevy Chase Lake amusement park the next year, where Davis managed the park as well until 1930, having assumed that position from one Herbert Claude. Davis is documented to have made his first recordings in 1916 as well: 'The Old Brick House', 'Pua I Mohala' and two versions of 'On the Beach at Waikiki' [DAHR]. None of those, however, were released. Recorded again on 2 February, nor were those issued. Not until 7 March of 1917 did Davis record to issue with titles like 'Sunshine' on Victor 72774 and 'Kondorosi Csárda Mellett' on Victor 69600. Upon numerous titles in 1917, Meyers waited until 1924 to record again.

'Nobody Loves You Like I Do'   Meyer Davis & Le Paradis Band w Spencer Tupman

Recorded 25 Nov 1924 in Camden, NJ   Issued on Victor 19526

Composition: Harry Akst

'All Aboard for Heaven'   Meyer Davis & Le Paradis Band w Billy Murray 

Recorded 26 March 1925   Matrix BVE-32183   Issued on Victor 19630

Music: Billy Rose   Lyrics: Cliff Friend

'Bye and Bye'   Meyer Davis & Le Paradis Band w Spencer Tupman & Billy Murray 

Recorded 26 March 1925   Matrix BVE-32185    Issued on Victor 19655

Music: Ed Nelson / Larry Vincent   Lyrics: Harry Pease

'Happy Days and Lonely Nights'   Meyer Davis & his Swanee Syncopators w Smith Ballew 

Recorded c Oct 1928 in NYC   Issued on Brunswick 4134

Music: Fred Fisher   Lyrics: Billy Rose

'Honest (I’m in Love with You)'   Meyer Davis & his Swanee Syncopators

Recorded 15 March 1929 in NYC   Issued on Brunswick 4329

Composition: possibly Tucker / Schuster / Vallee

'Miss You'   Meyer Davis & his Hotel Astor Orchestra

Recorded 6 June 1929 in NYC   Matrix E29991   Issued on Brunswick 4414

Music: Henry Tobias   Lyrics: Charles & Harry Tobias

'Am I a Passing Fancy?'   Meyer Davis & his Hotel Astor Orchestra w Chester Gaylord

Recorded 6 June 1929 in NYC   Matrix E29992   Issued on Brunswick 4414

Composition: Silver / Sherman / Lewise

'Do Something'   Meyer Davis & his Hotel Astor Orchestra w Dick Robertson

Recorded 6 June 1929 in NYC   Matrix E29993   Issued on Brunswick 4411

Music: Sam H. Stept   Lyrics: Bud Green

'Farewell'   Meyer Davis & his Orchestra w Scrappy Lambert

From the film 'Party Girl' released 1 Jan 1930 starring Douglas Fairbanks

'It Seems to Be Spring'   Meyer Davis & his Orchestra

Recorded Aug 1930 in NYC   Issued on Brunswick 4882

Composition: Whiting

'By a Waterfall'   Meyer Davis & his Orchestra w John Ingram

Recorded 8 Sep 1933 in NYC   Issued on Columbia 2816-D

Music: Sammy Fain   Lyrics: Irving Kahal

'Keep Young and Beautiful'   Meyer Davis & his Orchestra w Arlene Jackson

Recorded 23 Nov 1933 in NYC   Matrix W152562   Issued on Columbia 2854-D

Music: Harry Warren   Lyrics: Al Dubin

'Did You Ever See A Dream Walking'   Meyer Davis & his Orchestra w the Three Rascals

Recorded 23 Nov 1933 in NYC   Matrix W152563   Issued on Columbia 2852-D

Composition: Revel / Gordon

Upon the arrival of film, Davis worked as an associate producer of several in 1933 and '34, including the 20-minute short, 'Everybody Likes Music', in '34 in which he appeared with his orchestra. Discogs has Davis appearing on LP in 1953 per 'Tea for Two' on Volume 7 of 'Quiet Music' (Columbia 517). He recorded six albums from 'Dancing with the Smart Set' in 1958 to 'Meyer Davis Plays Cole Porter' in 1973. One among those was 'Meyer Davis Plays the Twist' in 1961.

'Meyer Davis Cordially Invites You to Dance to the Music of His Orchestra'

Album   ABC-Paramount 176   1957

'Dancing With The Smart Set'   Meyer Davis

Album   RCA Victor LSP 1756   1958

'On With The Dance'   Meyer Davis

Album   ABC-Paramount 197   1958

'Everybody Dance!'   Meyer Davis

Album   RCA Victor LPM 1930   1959

'Meyer Davis Plays 'Redhead' for Dancing'

Album   RCA Victor LPM 2039   1959

'Meyer Davis Plays Cole Porter'

Album   Monmouth Evergreen MES/6813   1973

Along with leading orchestras, Davis made a long career of supplying entertainment to country clubs and hotels on the East Coast, his network expanding to above a thousand musicians working in 80 bands. His main competition as a contractor in NYC and on the East Coast was bandleader, Lester Lanin. Like Lanin for Eisenhower and Carter, Davis also performed at Presidential inaugural balls, seven of them from Coolidge to Kennedy. Though not well known as stars go, and now something obscure, Davis' career stretched six decades until his death on 5 April 1976 in New York City [obit].