Davis studied French at the University of Toronto. He wanted to continue on to graduate studies but his parents were adamant that he become a lawyer. He was able to make a compromise with them by studying law at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law where they had just launched a French common law program. Davis received his J.D. law degree in 1982 and completed his articles with Philip M. Epstein, doing civil litigation and solicitor negligence defence work, sharing space with criminal lawyerEdward Greenspan. In 1984 he was called to the Ontario bar. Two years after his call to the bar, Davis ran into a professor and mentor from his undergraduate years who encouraged him to return to academia and do graduate work in French. From 1987 to 1993, Davis completed a Masters and PhD in French Linguistics at the University of Toronto. His thesis was titled Chronosemantics: A Theory of Time and Meaning and won him the 1993 University of Toronto French Department Doctoral Thesis Prize. He also was given a position as an assistant professor in the French Department.
Professional music
In 1997, Davis met jazz saxophonist, Doug Banwell, who convinced him to resume playing piano. The duo started playing gigs regularly, and Davis began to focus on music full time. Davis credited the law, in part, for his success in the music business. In an interview with the Law Times, he said that the law taught him to deal with loss, pressure, and adversity.
In music, as in all arts, you have to learn to accept rejection constantly...Some cases are won because the lawyer asserts them with great conviction and belief. It's the same in the arts," he says. Art is a form of persuasion. I'm always aware of the depth and beauty of the music I'm making.
Since 1997, Davis has performed live,and recorded music. He created Symphronica, a classical jazz fusion. Davis has recorded albums in various size ensembles and styles, such as chamber jazz, straight-ahead, and electric. In 2018 he completed a third year of performances in Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And in 2020, Davis' twelfth studio album, Symphronica Upfront, was nominated for a Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year. Davis derives his style from the swing and bop eras. He cites pianists Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, and Thelonious Monk as inspirations. In an interview with the National Post, Davis described said, "One of the things about this music is it's handmade."
Personal life
Davis is married to singer Daniela Nardi. In 2012, he co-produced her album Espresso Manifesto.
