Kris Davis is a Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer described by The New York Times as a beacon for “deciding where to hear jazz on a given night.” She has released 25 recordings as a leader or co-leader and collaborated with artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Holland, John Zorn, Craig Taborn, Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey, and Esperanza Spalding. 

Davis has been named a Doris Duke Artist (2021, alongside Wayne Shorter and Danilo Perez), Pianist of the Year (DownBeat, 2020 and 2022), and Pianist and Composer of the Year (Jazz Journalists Association, 2021). She is the Associate Program Director of Creative Development at the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, the founder of Pyroclastic Records, and the co-founder of the International Creators and Collaborators Workshop.

In the Kris Davis Trio, she is joined by the extraordinary talents of bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake. The title of the trio’s latest album, Run the Gauntlet, highlights a metaphor for overcoming challenges to achieve one's goals. In the project, Davis pays homage to six trailblazing women pianists–Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Renee Rosnes, Angelica Sanchez, Marilyn Crispell, and Sylvie Courvoisier–who navigated the male-dominated field of jazz and left an indelible mark on Davis’ journey as a pianist and composer. By dedicating the album to these extraordinary women, Davis honors their resilience and groundbreaking contributions as leaders in the jazz community. The album seamlessly melds composition with improvisation and stands as a testament to Davis’ singular voice within the jazz landscape.