Meet Simeon Nathanael Davis | Composer, Bandleader, & Multi-Instrumentalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Simeon Nathanael Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simeon, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Simply put, I truly couldn’t imagine doing anything else and being satisfied.

I started learning music at age 5 after I heard a folk violinist perform, and my desire to understand, to make, and to be a part of whatever that was I’d experienced when listening to that performance was insatiable. By the time I was in high school, I’d competed nationally in South Africa through a variety of competitions on a few different instruments and repeatedly placed or won. That was exciting, but in a lot of ways, simply learning and repeating music didn’t quite do it for me; I wanted to make something. By age 15 I’d begun studying jazz seriously with a phenomenal pedagogue and the nature of that music with spontaneous yet structured creativity and collective yet subtle creation grabbed at something deep within me. In it, I found that I wasn’t merely performing, but I was part of a group who, in that moment, breathed life into a combination of sounds that had never before been uttered. That exhilaration and realization is ultimately what led to becoming the type of musician I am now: a composer. More than any instrument, more than anything I can individually play, the emotion I experience and the worlds I can create with my band as one who builds with sounds seemed to satisfy every element of the creativity I enjoyed: the new, the collective, the chaotic, and the emotive.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a composer, I’m known for an approach to composition that strays from traditional aspects of form and genre, instead taking elements from established styles and traditions and using them like tools to create individual pieces of a puzzle that slot together to create a greater whole. My works focus on the creation and portrayal of often preexisting through-composed narratives, drawing on mythology, religion, visual art, literature, and lived experiences as the inspiration for these stories. Combining elements of jazz, folk, classical, and my background in South African music, my band and I build new sonic worlds that immerse the listener through interdisciplinary approaches. We create our own rules for these worlds, and then both appeal to and subvert expectations within the rules to appeal to the audience. Arguably most importantly, as a composer I see each member of the band not merely as a musician, but as a musical actor who can step into a myriad of roles. They are sonic thespians playing characters on an auditory stage. As you listen to what the Simeon Davis Group creates, instead of listening for which solo has the hottest lines, ask yourself: who’s the hero, who’s the villain, and who’s the one distracting you so the rest of us can subtly change the world around you?

It was a long process to get to the point where I had an inkling of what my musical identity is, and even longer to pursue and embrace it. I think that’s possibly one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a musician: find what you love and what creative outlet gives you the most joy, then set goals that allow you to pursue that, and don’t fear when your friends and colleagues go in a different direction. As someone with two degrees that declare the word “Jazz,” I definitely had certain expectations that I felt were put on me, but at the end of the day, I realized that I wasn’t a typical jazz musician. I didn’t just want to improvise over a form; I don’t always want to play bebop; and I really enjoy straying away from tradition for intentional effect. Learning to embrace these things rather than running from them allowed me to break the mental barriers I’d put up that prevented me from combining my eclectic influences in weird ways when those around me were memorizing their Charlie Parker transcriptions. I deviate from the norm in a lot of ways, and in a lot of ways, I’m so grateful that I’ve learned to love that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have a soft spot for places with dancing – quite possibly because I met my wife on the dancefloor. As a result, if this friend is going for both the full Dallas and Fort Worth experience, I’d recommend they start in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Go dancing! Head to Billy Bob’s and PR’s regardless of what you think your musical preferences are and have fun! Stop at Velvet Taco for kicks, or head over to any and every restaurant in the Stockyards for a full experience. If you’re in Dallas, I’m always one for Cowboys Red River at some point in the evening (again, I said I was biased towards dancing) and then head over to the Bishop Arts District to catch live music at Revelers Hall, or go a little further down to Deep Ellum to catch a different taste of the Dallas music and arts scene at places like Trees, Deep Ellum Art Co., or the Bomb Factory.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are three categories of people who I owe shoutouts too: my mentors, my colleagues, and my family.

I would not have made it to where I am now as a writer and performer without the guidance and inspiration of wondrous teachers and mentors. I think some of the most important ones are those who inspired me in high school to turn creativity into a vocation. Marc de Kock and Maria Raynham, if you see this, thank you immensely for inspiring and equipping me to keep learning. Most recently, having earned my Master’s in Jazz Composition, I owe a great amount of thanks to my two mentors in the graduate program: acclaimed composer/arranger Rich DeRosa, and phenomenal drummer, percussionist, and pedagogue José Aponte. Both of these mentors equipped me with a myriad of skills to create, interpret, and understand, while still allowing my musical personality to develop as distinct.

Next, to the creative colleagues. For those who’d never played with me before who said yes to the insanity of the gigs I’ve put together, you’re a rare breed and my thanks cannot be understated. To those who have donated so much time and creativity because they believe in my projects, even and especially when they’re not performing in them, you are the greatest champions to my creative process. In particular, that thanks goes out to JECStudio for steadfast audio engineering, mixing, and mastering, and Stingray Collective for top-tier video. TO my longstanding band members and friends – past and present – of what feels like eons. To Jake Chaffee, Josh Parker, Holly Holt, Mario Wellman, Tyler Thomas, Rachel Azbell, Jonathan Shier, Aramis Fernandez, Callandra Youngleson, Steven Sellers, and everyone else whose name is listed as “featured” on my songs: you’ve taught me more about this craft than any one person ever could, and your fingerprints are plastered forever all over the walls of my writing.

Lastly, to my One True Muse, my Lover, and Bride: thank you for being my stalwart help, my eternal hero, and my forever after. I love you to Death & Back, Cora Wise. To my daughter, even though your life is still new and I don’t know what lies ahead, I am so humbled every time I see you. I love you, little Persephone. And finally, thank you and all honor to my God, who has provided for and strengthened me in the most phenomenal of ways.

Website: hyperfollow.com/simndavis

Instagram: instagram.com/simndavis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simeon.davis.56

Youtube: https://youtu.be/YriKOXQHngI

Other: https://gofund.me/d432e3c2 – pre-order the band’s new album “Of Narratives & Nocturnes” and unlock exclusive pre-order rewards!

Image Credits
All photos by Cristy Wise Photography. All graphics by Studio Celeste.