Live From New York…It’s Mike Davis!

A late June surprise for me brought Mike Davis (cornet) from New York to our local Century Room at the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson. I was excited to see him again as he was making his 2nd “annual appearance.” We originally saw Mike at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May 2022 with trombonist Charlie Halloran, and then he had his first show at the newly opened Century Room the following June. He and General Manager & Artistic Director, Arthur Vint, attended the Manhattan School of Music together in New York. Arthur has been “instrumental” in bringing coastal talent to our community. (See additional commentary in this column in last month’s issue of The Syncopated Times) Six of our music-loving friends also attended and we had the two front tables for our party. We couldn’t have gotten any closer unless we were on the stage itself! Mike Davis and The New Wonders are out of New York and for this occasion, several of the local Wildcat Jazz Band members became his New Wonders. Mike named his band after the Conn Victor cornet model “New Wonder” that Bix Beiderbecke used. The Conn Victor cornets were heavier with rich tones and larger bore sizes made in the 1918-1928 years. [caption id="attachment_41087" align="alignrigh