Francis Davis (1946-2025)

[clifford_thornton]

Sad to report that the great jazz writer Francis Davis has died at age 78. He passed this morning.

Source is reputable.

May he rest easy, and I give thanks for his decades of work.

Mods: could move this to another category, away from artists, but I leave that to y'all's discretion... he was significant in this music, that's for sure.

[Dan Gould]

Definitely sad to hear, I am sure this will hit Allen Lowe especially hard as I believe they were close.

[JSngry]

He definitely left a mark.

RIP and full tributations.

[jlhoots]

Always liked & respected his viewpoint(s).

R.I.P.

[Chuck Nessa]

This one hurts personally.

[Ken Dryden]

He will be missed.

[colinmce]

Very sad news. One of the best.

[felser]

I had a number of personal exchanges with him, and liked him as wellas repecting him.  RIP.

[HutchFan]

R.I.P.

 

[Milestones]

Just seeing this now.  R.I.P.

A fine writer indeed.  Last night I just happened to be paging through his book Like Young, and especially the long and excellent essay on Charlie Haden.

 

 

[sgcim]

RIP. He was married to Terry Gross.

[Mark Stryker]

Obituary by Nate Chinen for WRTI in Philly. 

 

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/g-s1-60556/francis-davis-jazz-critics-poll-obituary?fbclid=IwY2xjawJspwJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHowZSmqcyS5X-RVEBMZt9tMiiJkTzyCEvYzzMdzZ4rWpyeLAvnfhYdHuPT_-_aem_1IW8_mmM32fUYPcxGfBRsA

[Jason Bivins]

Damn. RIP.

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

[Kurt Anderson]

I met Francis a few times,  at shows and at the home of a friend with whom I've enjoyed weekly jazz listening sessions for the past thirty years.   A very nice, reserved man who made the pages sing with his brilliant insights into the music.

So many on the Philly scene of the eighties and nineties are gone now.  But not forgotten.  Never forgotten.  Just as a Prez solo can be enjoyed in "real' time seventy years after it was blown,  so will Francis Davis' empathy and wisdom be available for all those who desire to know.   RIP,  brother.