Bman's Blues Report

REVEREND GARY DAVIS: THE AVANT GARDE RECORDINGS:  RECORDED LIVE — OCTOBER 1966 ...

I just received the newest release, Music from the film, Harlem Street Singer , Music by Empire Roots Band it's it's quite well done. This film and consequently this cd celebrates the music of Rev. Gary Davis. Opening with Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning , this band features the robust voice of Bill Sims Jr. guitar work by Woody Mann, piano by Dave Keyes and bass by Brian Glassman. Each of the performers shows their individual virtuosity on this track. On Search My Heart , Sims Jr. holds a strong line vocally but it's Keyes that shines on through on piano on this track. Opening with really clean piano riffs by Keyes, Mean Old World gets a super rework by Sims jr. and may be my favorite track on the release. Both Keyes and Mann lay down some exceptional riffs. There's A Destruction In This Land has a particularly strong spiritual overtone with it's gospel feel. Genre specific piano riffs and warm harmonies accentuate Sims jr.s lead vocals. I particularly lik...

Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972) was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica. His finger-picking guitar style influenced many other artists and his students in New York included Stefan Grossman, David Bromberg, Roy Book Binder, Larry Johnson, Woody Mann, Nick Katzman, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Winslow, and Ernie Hawkins. He has influenced the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Townes van Zandt, Wizz Jones, Jorma Kaukonen, Keb' Mo', Ollabelle, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, and Resurrection Band. Gary Davis was born in Laurens, South Carolina, and was the only one of eight children his mother bore who survived to adulthood. He became blind as an infant. Davis reported that his father was killed in Birmingham, Alabama, when Davis was ten, and Davis later said that he had been told that his father had been shot by the Birmingham High Sheriff. He recalled being poorly treated by hi...

Liner Notes  Rev. Gary Davis, Bozo Padunavac and American Primitivism - An Exclusive Interview with Peter Lang I caught up the other day with legendary American Primitive guitar player Peter Lang. American Primitivism , also known as American Primitive Guitar , is the music genre started by John Fahey in the late 1950s. Fahey composed and recorded avant-garde / neo-classical compositions using traditional country blues fingerpicking techniques, which had previously been used primarily to accompany vocals. Other famous early proponents were Leo Kottke and Robbie Basho who all played at one time or another on Fahey's Takoma Records label. The style is derived from the country blues and string band music of the '20s and '30s. Fahey referred to it as 'American Primitive' after the 'French Primitive' painters, meaning untutored. Bman: Hi Peter. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. First...