The set list for that night 's show lay on a table in the dressing room. The show itself was only moments away. But before Bruce Springsteen went on Sunday night in St. Paul, he wanted to say hello to an old friend who had come up from Madison to see him.

When Richard Davis, the 77-year-old UW-Madison School of Music professor and legendary jazz bassist, walked into the dressing room, Springsteen 's smile reached his eyes. He gave Davis a hug.

"It 's so good to see you, " Springsteen said. "Man. It 's been 30 years. "

It had actually been a little more than that. Their relationship dated to the mid-1970s. Springsteen was not yet the Boss. Davis was a much-in-demand studio musician in New York City.

Springsteen was working to the point of exhaustion to finish his third album. He knew he had something special, but a tour was looming and the record label was on his back. Still, Springsteen wouldn 't compromise and one of the things he wanted on the record, which he would call "Born to Run, " was a bass player he had first heard playing on a disc with Van Morrison.

In St. Paul Sunday night, Springsteen recalled the impression Morrison 's "Astral Weeks " -- and in particular Davis ' bass play -- had made on him.

"I listened to that record over and over again, " Springsteen said. "I knew I had to get you to play on my record. "

Davis did play on "Born to Run. " The album made Springsteen a superstar. Not long after its release in 1975, Richard Davis accepted UW-Madison 's offer of a teaching job. Davis, who turns 78 next month, is still teaching full time and doubts he 'll ever retire. "I don 't think I 'll ever stop, " he said. "It 's too rewarding. "

Sunday night in St. Paul, they chatted a bit more. Davis said he understood Springsteen liked Harley-Davidson motorcycles. "I have two, " Bruce said. The talk turned to horses and Springsteen mentioned that one of his daughters was showing horses in Florida.

At one point, Davis mentioned that he and the friends who had come to the show with him would also be attending the performance in Milwaukee the following night.

"Would you play with me? " Springsteen asked. He suggested Davis join him on stage at the Bradley Center for "Meeting Across the River, " a song from "Born to Run."

"Sure," Davis said.

"Do you have your bass?" Springsteen asked.

Davis said he did not travel with his bass.

"We'll get you a bass, " Springsteen said. "Come for the sound check at 5 o 'clock. "

Also in the dressing room Sunday night was Davis' girlfriend, Caroline Loniello, and her sister, Sara Deutsch. Deutsch is a huge Springsteen fan and it was actually for her that Davis contacted Springsteen 's office after all these years.

Word came back that Bruce would love to see Richard. Which show would they like to attend?

It may be that not enough people in Madison realize the international treasure we have here in the presence of Davis, who is originally from Chicago and has traveled the world often during a dazzling career in which he has played with many of the biggest names in music, including Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis and Leonard Bernstein.

Monday night in Milwaukee, he played with the Boss. Springsteen had said, "Come to the catering, " so after the sound check at the Bradley Center, Davis, Loniello, Deutsch, and a third sister, Anne Whalen, sampled the buffet laid out for the band. "Great corn beef and cabbage, " Davis said. It was a St. Patrick 's Day show, after all.

When it was over, some dedicated Springsteen fans would feel it had been one of the best ever. "Meeting Across the River " was during the encore and it was just Springsteen, pianist Roy Bittan and Davis on stage. The song was haunting. Davis said that the wife of a band member had tears in her eyes afterward as she told him how much it had moved her.

Later, at the Milwaukee Hyatt Regency, fans who had attended the show sought out Davis to shake his hand.

"I hadn't done much, " he said. "Just played a little quiet bass. "

Contact Doug Moe at 608-252-6446 or dmoe@madison.com.