On July 31, 2013, my old friend, Ralph Davis, passed away in his sleep. Ralph was an incredibly gifted pianist, and above all a quality human being. Throughout the 70s we played together in a number of combos. I went to Berklee to study jazz, but most of what I actually know I learned from Ralph. After not seeing him for over 30 years, we managed to reconnect when I was visiting DC for Thanksgiving, 2011. 3/4 of the old band got together to play, and it was a joy. When I was visiting again over the Christmas 2012 holiday, we managed to get everyone together for an afternoon of music. It was like we never left.
I'm heartbroken that he is gone. But I am so very glad we managed to find one another again first.
Some music:
(feel free to ignore the over-enthusiastic young guitarist)
_________________________________________________________
Now THIS is an obit. Including stuff I had no idea about.
Ralph was born in Brooklyn, New York and spent his early years in Carlisle, Pennsylvania before moving to Washington, DC in his teens. His father Bertram Davis was a university professor and instilled a love of learning in Ralph that never left him. His mother Ruth Benedict was a talented singer and musician and Ralph inherited her love of music.
Ralph graduated from Andover Academy in the early 1960's and continued his education at Columbia University in New York City where he graduated with a degree in Russian Literature. Later he completed a Masters Degree in Writing from Johns Hopkins University and a Doctorate in Clinical Hypnotherapy from American Holistic University.
Ralph's talents and interests were varied and eclectic. He was a gifted and innovative jazz musician and an accomplished professional piano player. He attended the Eastman School of Music to further his improvisational skills and became a sought after performer in DC during the 1970's.
Ralph spoke eight languages, was a brilliant writer and editor, and authored eight books on computer programming. He loved to travel, drink good coffee, hike in the Shenandoah Mountains, and recently climbed Buck Mountain in Lake George, New York. An avid reader, Ralph loved contemporary and classical fiction, history, and spiritual reading of all kinds.
Professionally, Ralph accompanied the chorus and led the hand chimes at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and played for musicals at the Riverside Theatre. In addition, he spent much of his life as a computer programmer, and in recent years had also become a hypnotherapist, an energy tapping practitioner, and a mantra master. He thought deeply about life and offered wise counsel to his many clients, friends, and associates. Ralph was a kind and gentle man with a strong loving heart and a deep compassion for all living beings.
No comments:
Post a Comment