Experience the Grammy Legacy of Nashville Brass

In the mid-1960s, Danny Davis moved to the RCA label. While in New York he pitched his idea of recording country songs with a brass ensemble. Not long after he joined RCA, Davis transferred to Nashville. There, Davis worked with other RCA artists including Waylon Jennings, Dottie West, Floyd Cramer and Hank Locklin.

One evening, Davis told Chet Atkins of his idea of recording country songs with brass instruments. Davis set out to work on a demo. He chose Nashville arranger and fellow trumpeter, Bill McElhiney, to help create the sound of the Nashville Brass. The basic idea was to replace the vocalist with a brass ensemble (two to three trumpets, two trombones) playing over a standard country rhythm section (guitar, bass, drums, banjo).

For his recordings, Davis assembled a rhythm section of Nashville's "A" list musicians: Grady Martin (guitar), Floyd Cramer (piano), Bob Moore (bass), Buddy Harmon (drums), Bobby Thompson (banjo), John Hartford (banjo). When completed, Atkins hand carried the demo (Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light") to a meeting of RCA executives in California. In October 1968 the first album The Nashville Brass Play The Nashville Sound was released. The first album was followed by The Nashville Brass featuring Danny Davis Play More Nashville Sounds in 1969. 

In 1970, the second album received the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Beginning in 1969 and continuing for the next five years Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass dominated the Country Music Association Awards Best Instrumental Group category. Over the years the group garnered eleven more Grammy nominations and received many other awards from recording industry publications and associations.

Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass took country music around the world, being one of the first acts in the genre to have their own airplane. They were also one of the first country acts to take the music to the Vegas strip, working first as an opening act for Connie Francis and later Kay Starr, they soon returned to headline. The group also guest starred on many of the biggest television shows of the day including Red Skelton, Ed Sullivan (including its last show) and the show of his old friend, Merv Griffin.

In the 1980s, Davis joined the cast of Hee Haw as a member of the "Million Dollar Band" with fellow instrumentalists Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph, Roy Clark (guitar), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Johnny Gimble (fiddle) and Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (mandolin). Danny Davis charted once again in 1987 with the single "Green Eyes (Cryin' Those Blue Tears)" with featured vocalist Dona Mason. 

Davis and his group maintained a heavy touring schedule well into the 1990s. In the mid-1990s, Davis partnered with his old friend, Boots Randolph, opening the Stardust Theater in Nashville (near the Opryland Hotel). The two performed shows nightly for a couple of years. For the majority of his touring years, Davis retained a consistent personnel line-up. Among those musicians were: Bill Pippin (trumpet/flugelhorn/flute); Ray Carroll (trumpet/flugelhorn); Rex Peer (trombone); Phil Jones (bass trombone—Jones replaced the band's original bass trombonist, Frank Smith, after Smith's death in a car accident); Larry Morton (guitar); Chuck Sanders (bass); Terry Waddell (drums); Curtis McPeake (banjo). Davis and his group performed the English version of the theme song for the Japanese animated series Speed Racer.

The legacy of Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass lives on, continuing to delight audiences with their unique blend of country and brass. Original members, drummer Larry Hendrixson, trumpeter Ed Gaston, and band leader, trombonist Herb Bruce, carry forward the rich tradition and distinctive sound that Danny Davis envisioned and brought to life. Their commitment to preserving the spirit of the Nashville Brass ensures that the music continues to resonate with fans old and new, celebrating a storied past while looking forward to a vibrant future. In the words of Danny Davis' daughter, "Dad would be so proud!"