After studying music at Curtis Institute and Temple University, trumpeter Mel Davis (1931-2004) played with the Philadelphia Opera Company and Symphony Orchestra. He had some interest in jazz too, but his concert teachers were the first and most significant influences in his subsequent development as a trumpet stylist.

In 1954 he went to New York, and after playing whatever jobs came to hand, he joined Benny Goodman's band in 1956. That same year he recorded his first album 'Trumpet with a Soul,' a collection of well-known standards played with tradition al overt ones. Davis is showcased with three different instrumentations. His sound is big-toned, lyrical and beautiful, and it stands out, particularly on the ballads, which he plays directly and with a singing resonance. From 1957 and until the mid '80s Davis did a lot of studio work, appearing on albums by Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Tony Bennett, Ethel Ennis, Carmen McRae, Wes Montgomery, George Benson.

Later he became a staff musician at NBC, a position he held for 10 years. During that time, he performed with Perry Como, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Johnny Carson and scores of other top stars. He played in the Sesame Street house band for seventeen years.

From 1971, Davis operated Rampart Street, his own establishment in Port Washington, L.I., New York. It was one of the Island's landmark clubs until its closure in 1987. Shortly after, Davis moved to Miami, where he lived until his death in 2004.

—Jordi Pujol (From the inside liner notes of FSRCD 1068)