About

Hal is a dedicated lifelong music student and performer who hails from Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) but can be also heard strumming in Naples or Northern Michigan, depending on the weather.

He performs a variety of original compositions, pop music, traditional jazz, and rock-and-roll.  Always interpreted in his own creative way,… meaning that he makes lots of mistakes, improvises the spots he can’t remember, and often wanders from song to song.   He loves what he does.

Hal is blessed to be working with some amazing collaborators including Howard White (bass), Aurora Wells (bass), Tom Borders (musical theatre), Carla Milarch (musical theatre) and Ryan McKenzie Lewis (musical theatre).

Here’s What the Experts Say:

“Hal has an exceptional ear for detail that comes through in his guitar playing.  It can be heard in his choice of material. He does not play the standard songs that most guitarists play. Hal will purposely seek out challenging material to convert into guitar arrangements and masterfully execute them.”   John E. Lawrence Guitarist/Author for Mel Bay Publications/Director of the Music Performance Program/Instructor – Washtenaw Community College

“I thoroughly enjoy Hal Davis every time I see him play.  He’s brings a great deal of craft to the stage; both as an instrumentalist and arranger.  His sometimes soulful, sometimes fun, always well-executed performances of both classic tunes and well-penned original songs are always an audience-pleaser.”   Jim Fleming, Fleming Artists

“Fine musicianship and great song selection. I am most impressed with the band’s versatility, shifting from Latin rhythms to hard-swinging post-bop to flat-out rocking 70’s era fusion. One thing you can count on: whatever they play, they turn it into party music.”  Lee Berry, General Manager, The Michigan Theater

Background

Hal fell in love with the guitar around age eight, and is self-taught, mostly by listening to those old Beatles and Jimi Hendrix records.  In the mid-70’s he hooked up with Martin Simmons who taught him about arranging.  Their band, Bigfoot, was a Midwest dance club sensation.

He was also a science nerd at the University of Michigan – couple of degrees, some research jobs, and some teaching.  But music always came first.  Until his first daughter, Alison, was born.  Then he returned to the University for an MBA.  While still performing music on weekends, by day Hal was the head of marketing for KMS Fusion and then Interface Systems.  In 1996 he launched a software company, BlueGill Technologies, which revolutionized how banks and phone companies use the Internet.  After the sale of BlueGill in 2000, he returned to music full time.

He started studying music again in earnest, and performing regularly at restaurants and jazz clubs in Michigan and Florida.  He became enchanted with musical theatre and started writing musicals in 2016.  He is a proud member of the Dramatist Guild.

He’s also nuts about his family, swimming and bicycling.