Biography
Hi I am Jose Davila. I guess that I am a late-comer to the music scene. I was a teenager when I first began playing instruments in the South Bronx. I began with clarinet and became proficient enough to pass the audition into Performing Arts High School. However, about a year into playing the clarinet I began experimenting with the flute and saxophone and some percussion including vibes. During this time I participated in many music events with friends including pop concerts, battle of the band events and local small scale gigs. At this time New York City was a multicultural test bed that spawned awesome performers. Some of which I knew as a teen. At Performing Arts the focus was on classical music and classical instruction. However, I had already developed a taste for the blues, jazz and Latin music.
I was born in Gurabo, Puerto Rico but raised in Caguas with my father and his parents. We emigrated to the states with when I was almost 6 years old. We settled in the Bronx in a predominantly minority neighborhood. Our family traditions continued even as we developed in American culture. Growing up with the music of Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, the Fania All Starts and many such artists was inspiring. So was the influence of jazz. I remember going to bed listening to my little transistor radio as jazz played on the Gas-light Review, a local jazz program on am radio. The popular artists at the time were Cannonball Adderley, King Curtis, Carlos Santana, Mandrill, even Led Zeppelin had an influence on me at the time. Music was assumed to be part of our culture and it certainly remained a large part of my life. As fate would have it misfortune fell upon my family in the early 1970s and I opted to join the military to have an opportunity at a decent life and continue with my education. As with many things, life gets in the way and I drifted further and further away from playing music. Next thing you know many years have gone by. One day I was sitting at home watching TV being totally non-productive and realized that there has to be more to life than being a couch potato. Somehow the idea got into my head to explore music. I went down to a local music store and rented a Tenor Saxophone. I took it home and played around with it trying to remember and re-familiarize myself with the instrument. After a few days of playing around I decided to contact a local music teacher and see if I can get some instruction and get used to reading music again. After my first lesson I showed promise so the teacher decided I should continue lessons. He was accustomed to teaching older people who had never played an instrument or read music before. I had an advantage over them and he thought be worthy. I studied with him for the next year. During that year I got involved in a local community band to learn how to play with other musicians again. I remain active in the San Diego music scene and continue to grow as an artist. In 2016 I was invited to jam with a local San Diego Band. They do a myriad of things such as funk, country, some Carlos Santana and when the lights go down they go in to the Blues. This is where I came in and having a good command of my major, minor and blues scales decided to put myself out there and see what I can do. It turned out well and I actually got some applause and compliments from band members and people in the audience. That motivated me to add to my musical vocabulary and practice more. A few months later I was invited to perform with this band once more. I decided to play both sax and flute this time and test my ability to transpose the music for the sax. Thankfully it went well and I actually played with the band longer than the first time. Besides these new experiences I am motivated by a lot of musicians young and old that inspire me and remind me of the goal to play professionally and be a Latin Jazz artist. My goals are local right now to San Diego, but you never know where things can go. I am happy to be a musician once more and to be adept enough to perform before live audiences. I enjoy the energy that comes from them and from the band I perform with. Jose Davila Lebron Bad Wolf Music |