Lawrence Davies

My research focuses on the transnational circulation of African American musics between the 1930s and 60s. With a particular emphasis on the blues in Britain, I explore how processes of musical appropriation and assimilation affected the social and cultural meanings of this music, as well as the formation of national and transnational cultural identities. In particular, I am interested in the creation of communality and conviviality through musical performance and appreciation, while being mindful of the persistent and important dynamics of power involved in these practices.

I blog about my research at http://allthirteenkeys.wordpress.com and have recently contributed an article to The Discographer Magazine.

My MMus dissertation examined how British blues enthusiasts between c.1945 and 1960 borrowed interpretive positions from the New Orleans jazz revival and the British folk revival movements to legitimise British blues performance, and to incorporate the genre into British postwar life. This approach extends existing scholarship on British blues, which has tended to ignore the currents mentioned above, preferring to concentrate on British rock musicians' identification of the blues as synonymous with rebellion and counterculture.

Other academic interests include music pedagogy, and sixteenth-century English polyphony.

I received my BMus and MMus from King's College London, studying jazz piano and directing the King's College Chorus (2008-11), Guy's Chapel Choir (2010-11), and UCL Jazz Vocals (2010-12). From 2012-14 I taught piano and co-directed the jazz band at Bishop Thomas Grant school in Streatham. Outside of my research and teaching I enjoy walking, and time off with my cats.