b. George Nowlan, 29 April 1925, Randolph, Massachusetts, USA. Davis, who calls himself a ‘Yankee Irishman’, bought his trumpet with his earnings from a delivery round and he played in high school bands. At the age of 14 he was performing with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. From the age of 17, he was guesting with some of the best swing bands including Gene Krupa and Bob Crosby and he recorded ‘Trumpet Cha Cha’. By 1958 he was working as a record producer and he produced several of Connie Francis’ hit singles. He also had success with Herman’s Hermits and Johnny Tillotson. In 1965, he began working with Chet Atkins at RCA Records and he formed the Nashville Brass, which added brass to a pop-country rhythm section: it was as though Herb Alpert was recording country music. Although some country fans were reluctant to accept them, their albums sold well and they had US country hits including ‘Wabash Cannonball’ and ‘Columbus Stockade Blues’. For six consecutive years, Danny Davis And The Nashville Brass were voted the Instrumental Band Of The Year at the Country Music Association’s awards, and they also won a Grammy in 1969 for their More Nashville Sounds album. In 1980 a curious album was released in which Davis added the Nashville Brass to some existing Willie Nelson tracks. The versions of ‘Night Life’ and ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ both made the US country charts.