Track Listing

1. Walking Dog Blues
2. Cincinnati Flow Rag
3. She's Funny That Way
4. Whoopin' Blues
5. Twelve Sticks
6. Children Of Zion
7. Buck Rag
8. Hesitation Blues
9. C Rag
10. Baby Let Me Lay It On You
11. Cocaine Blues
12. Buck Dance
13. Candyman
14. Wall Hollow Blues
15. Little Boy Little Boy Who Made Your Britches
16. Whistlin' Blues

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32533 in Music
• Released on: 1997-02-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Customer Reviews

What blues guitar is all about
As soon as the first track (an instrumental) begins you sense that the notes are almost being punched out of that big Gibson jumbo acoustic guitar, an emphatic rhythm supporting a strutting melody line. Rev Davis was essentially a street performer who was used to making himself heard!

Many of his recordings are under-appreciated largely because of their predominantly gospel material. This CD focuses almost entirely on the Rev's secular blues and, as such, is an ideal introduction to the Reverend. Don't let the rough-edged sound of the music deceive you, this is playing of the highest calibre, with numerous tricks and improvisations along the way.

Highlights are "Hesitation blues" (though a little long at nearly twelve minutes!), "Cincinnati Flow Rag" and, if you can cope with the vocals, "Candyman," one of Rev Davis' trademark tunes. Another favourite of mine is "Cocaine blues" with the guitar loping and warbling behind the spoken lyrics. "Whistling blues is a remarkable piece of playing in imitation of a piano, apparently achieved by surreptitiously re-tuning one guitar string part way through the tune!

I suspect that Rev Davis appeals particularly to guitarists or would-be players, and listening to him makes you realise why his playing inspired a host of players and would-be's. Frankly, though, this album deserves a wider audience than that. It is blues unpolished but powerful, and that, surely is what blues is all about.