Quindrey “Drey” Davis’ untimely and unexpected death has left the Spokane Jazz Orchestra and its devoted audience of jazz aficionados in a state of mourning. We are all heartbroken and dumbfounded by the news of his departure, and at this very tough time, our thoughts and prayers are with his young family.

Drey was a drummer with extraordinary talent and prowess. Drey’s solos never failed to excite and interest the SJO audience; they never let them down. He joined our orchestra two years ago, and his first performance with us was during the holiday concert in December of 2021. With our ensemble, this signaled the start of a beautiful musical journey.

Drey’s dedication to music extended beyond his duties as a member of the Seattle Jazz Orchestra and into his work as a teacher at Northwest Christian School. In addition to that, he taught private drum lessons, passing on both his love and his ability to burgeoning artists.  Drey’s commitment to his craft was unflinching even as he worked frantically to book performances so that he could support for his rapidly expanding family.

In addition to his wife Allyson and their young son Cairo, he also leaves behind the promise of a new arrival—a girl named Rhythm—who is due in only ten weeks. The couple took the life-altering choice to buy their own home a year ago with high expectations and aspirations for a happy future together.

The things that happened before Drey received his diagnosis had a lot to do with how senseless his death was. Despite the fact that he had been suffering from disease symptoms for about a year, he put off getting help because of his steadfast duty to support his family.

Only a few days after he had finally made it to the doctor, he received the devastating news that he had leukemia. Over a short amount of time, his condition rapidly deteriorated, resulting in brain bleeding and, ultimately, his untimely death. His passing came too soon. Drey’s final remarks to Ally’s mother, in which he expressed sorrow for postponing medical care, were indicative of the compassionate and selfless traits that he demonstrated throughout his life.