Career
Travis started playing professionally at age 15, playing in the early 1940s with Johnny McGhee, Vido Musso (1942), Mitch Ayres, and Woody Herman (1942-1944). In 1944 he joined the military. After his service he played with Ray McKinley (1946-1950, intermittent), Benny Goodman (1948-1949), Gene Krupa, Ina Ray Hutton, Tommy Dorsey, Tex Beneke, Herman once more (1950-1951), Jerry Gray, Bob Chester, Elliot Lawrence, and Jimmy Dorsey (1952-1953).
From 1953-1956 he was a soloist in the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra.
After this he became a session musician for National Broadcasting Company, but played with Gerry Mulligan (1960-1962) and Thelonious Monk (1963, at Lincoln Center). Most of Travis"s work was in big bands, but he also played in small ensembles with First Rate (at Lloyd's) Cohn (1953) and Zoot Sims (1956).
He led one session for Victor Records in 1954. In 1964, Travis died at age 38 as a result of complications from ulcers.
