Davis hails from Pittsburgh and expatriated pretty early in the game. I think he's a fine player, actually, although his earlier recordings show him to be a "work in progress". I'm ok with that.
Da' Bastids are currently offering two of his 70s albums. One's kind of a "fusion" type thing coming from the funk tip, and it's ok, but the other is a suite in memory of Dr. King that is very good, and unlike the typically optimistic hue these things tend to take, more than a little pessimistic in its overall attitude. A very provocative liste, actually.
I had the pleasure of seeing Nathan Davis while I was still in high school. He appeared at a clinic along with Clark Terry, and he played just fine. I might even have a cassette of the performance stashed away in the closet somewhere.
I consider him one of the "infantry soldiers" of the music, somebody who works hard at their craft and is constantly trying (and usually succeeding) to improve. Nothing glamorous or grippingly innovative about his playing, but that's not the point with players like this. The point is that they're out there trying to do what they do as best (and most importantly, sincerely) as they can do it, and they always seem to find someplace in which to do it. I have a lot of respect for that.