Jason Davis & the New Philosophers

Jason Davis’ passion for music emerged, along with his guitar
skills, long before Grove City College. “Like most guitar
players, I wanted to be a rock star,” Davis ’95 recalls. A music education degree was Plan B.

Enter Plan B. After earning his Grove City degree, Davis
headed to Duquesne University for a master’s in theory and
composition and then to Texas, where his new wife, Emily
(Warner ’97) Davis, had acquired an assistantship.
The new plan was to stay in Texas for two years, which
stretched into 11 and became a family joke. “We tell people we
were late for dinner for nine years,” Davis laughs.

They were years well spent from a career standpoint. He landed a position with a company called FirstCom Music, working with various television networks and the music that
aired on their shows. The job gave him opportunity to both gain experience in the music industry and to put his own skills to use. He composed the entire soundtrack for the police reality show “Under Fire” and wrote pieces for various other programs,
including “Saturday Night Live” and “The Tonight Show.”

Davis’s love of playing guitar was still alive as well. He found band members and performed under the name “Jason Davis and the New Philosophers.” His guitar skills earned him official
endorsement from Parker Guitars and several other music
suppliers, privileges that came with his own built-to specifications
“JD-147” electric guitar model and many more connections in the music industry.

A recent move to New York state to be nearer to family
pulled Davis out of the industry itself. He is now a professor of the new music industry major at a branch of the State University of New York. “The teaching schedule affords me the ability to continue to write and record music as well as play out, so it really is a great situation to be in,” he says.

His band, “Jason Davis and the New Philosophers,” continues,
with several new band members in New York. His web site,
www.jasondavismusic.com, has more information.

Where Davis’ life will take him next remains to be seen, but
one thing is for certain – whatever else his future holds, music will be a part of it. - theGeDUNK (Spring 09)

"To simply say Jason Davis is a guitarist or songwriter seriously undervalues the ferocious talent this ax-wielding, gun-slinger displays with such ease. Combining elements from the classics (not watered-down pseudo classics either buddy, we're talking Hendrix and Zappa, among others) with his unique take on hard rock, Davis creates a blistering sound that is not only refreshing, but sensationally ass-kicking – seriously this guy turns it up to 11 and then some.

Parker Guitars, Emerald Acoustic Guitars, Randall Amplifiers, and Mojo Strings all know this and after much negotiation and flat-out begging procured Davis to equipment sponsorships. Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, the Tonight Show, and Access Hollywood are all better shows because of their impeccable taste in choosing some of Davis's material for their programming. And surely diverse artists such as MC Lyte, Clay Aiken, Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Zac Malloy (the Nixons) and Grammy nominated Nappy Root learned a thing or two when sharing the stage with Davis and his ultra-tight group of do-gooders, whose expertise in "the rock" help pull off a sound that sounds like an army of 100 rather than three.

So with a fist pumped in the air and the rebel yell of 'Rock 'n' Roll!,' filling our lungs, let's hear it for Jason Davis – a true renegade virtuoso for the modern age."

--Chad Huffman, Editor In Chief - Winter Party Blog

It seems odd that in Fort Worth, where seemingly everybody and his brother plays guitar, you can count the number of non-blues playing, improvising axe-slingers on
one hand. Jazzer Keith Wingate and prog daddy Bill Pohl are untouchably awesome and inspired. And Steffin Ratliff (Pablo and the Hemphill 7/Sleepy Atlantis) demonstrates impeccable chops and pedal mastery, always in the service of the song.

Enter Pittsburgh expatriate Jason Davis, whose debut CD takes its name from the decibel level at which the human inner ear implodes. Davis is that rare thing: a
blues-based player who neither plays it straight nor apes Stevie Ray. Instead, he comes across like a descendant of bluesy Texas axemen like John Nitzinger and Rocky Athas, armed with the sensibilities of high-tech shredders like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. While Davis lacks the subtlety and
finesse of some of those older players, he's a fiery, aggressive
gunslinger of great dexterity with a gorgeous, harmonic-rich tone. With Davis' technical brilliance in mind, his debut marks him as a talent to watch. - Fort Worth Weekly

July 15, 2006

Parker Guitars endorsing artists Jason Davis, Vince Genella, and Dave Isaacs will perform a showcase at Redrum Club in Austin on Saturday, July 15th. The three
guitarists will be in Austin to attend the NAMM (Nat'l Association of Music
Merchants) show as representatives and product endorsers of Chicago-based US
Music Corporation, which manufactures and distributes Parker guitars as well as
Washburn guitars, Randall and Eden amplifiers, and Mojo Strings.

The music will cover a wide stylistic spectrum, from ambient sounds and futuristic shred-fusion to
roots-based blues, rock, and cool jazz. Dallas-based Jason Davis produces TV soundtracks for BMG Music, and his work has been heard on "Saturday Night
Live", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", "Extra", "Access Hollywood", among others. Vince Genella writes, performs, teaches guitar, and offers clinics at trade shows and music stores all over the country. NYC native Dave Isaacs is a busy freelance stage and studio player in Nashville and has just released his fifth CD, Old King Crow.

The Redrum Club is located at 401 Sabine Street in Austin, and can be reached at (512) 469-0691. The show starts at 6 PM and admission is free.

For more information, visit their web site at ww.parkerguitars.com. - HarmonyCentral.com