395 - Eddy Davis

Banjoist Eddy Davis was born September 26, 1940 and passed away April 7, 2020. This interview with Mr. Davis was recorded in December 2008. The word "legend" gets thrown around a lot, but Eddy Davis certainly was one. An extremely talented banjoist, for anyone who listens to this interview you'll also find he was a great storyteller. To a lot of people he was known for leading the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band that played many Monday evenings at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City. The band was known for playing traditional jazz and featuring Woody Allen on clarinet. Eddy Davis can be heard on the soundtrack of Woody Allen's films "Radio Days" and "Midnight in Paris" and had a small part in "Sweet and Lowdown." He can also be seen and heard in the documentary film "Wild Man Blues" about Woody Allen's passion for New Orleans jazz.

A talented instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and very entertaining performer, he made some of the most enjoyable recordings around. He was a truly unique artist. We talked of doing another interview and I could never seem to pin him down. I was honored and delighted to interview him. I hope for anyone who knew him they will enjoy this recording of him talking in such detail. For those who never got to see him perform, I hope this will inspire you to try and locate some of his records which are all exceptional. The world of music has suffered a great loss. Eddy Davis will be greatly missed.

The Paul Leslie Hour is a talk show dedicated to “Helping People Tell Their Stories.” Some of the most iconic people of all time drop in to chat. Frequent topics include Arts, Entertainment and Culture.