Published on May 3, 2001
“The blues ain’t nothin’ but a good man feelin’ bad, thinkin’
about the woman he used to have.”
–Willie Brown, Crossroads
Guess what, Willie, old chap? Sometimes, the blues ain’t nothin’
but a woman who’s plays guitar like an angel and a demon
combined.
Say, a woman like Debbie Davies, one of the best blues
guitarists
you’ve probably never heard of. On her latest release, L.A.
native
Davies lays down some of the nicest chops you ever wanted to
hear on
Love The Game.
Second generation musician Davies (her father, Allan Davies, was
a well-known studio musician and arranger who worked with Ray
Charles and Frank Sinatra, among others) doesn’t have anything to
prove, but if you haven’t discovered her yet, you should.
Davies is one hell of a guitar player, and it’s obvious why. Her
playing history includes recordings and gigs with Maggie
Mayall, wife of British blues pioneer John Mayall; Coco Montoya;
the rhythm section of Double Trouble, the backing band of the late
blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan; and three years as featured
guitarist for blues innovator Albert Collins. She owns her guitar
playing, shifting from Texas to New Orleans to Memphis to Chicago
without a break, and the light touch of producer Duke Robillard
means you hear every lick clean as a whistle. Davies’ backing
musicians are excellent, especially the steady thrum and crash of
drummer Don Castagno, who also contributes co-writing credits on
several tracks.
The CD’s opening track, “Love The Game”, sets the tone (and,
incidentally, sounds like a lost Fabulous Thunderbirds
track), and the CD never lets up. I especially liked “Down In The
Trenches”, the New Orleans tinged “Was Ya Blue”, the funky horns
section on “I’m Just Your Fool”, the blisteringly smooth licks on
“She’s Takin’ Notes”, and the magnificent “Keep Your Sins To
Yourself.”
If there’s a single complaint on this recording, it’s that
occasionally very occasionally Davies tries a bit hard to be
Bonnie Raitt; her voice is a little thin, and on tracks like
“Leading Me Home” it runs a bit thin without the guitar to back it
up. While according to her
official website she was
doing more
songwriting on this CD, Davies might keep in mind that first
and
foremost she’s a guitarist, and a damned good one at
that.
Kudos to Shanachie Records for keeping blues like this alive. If
you’re a fan of the genre, or even if you just want a great
CD to put
on and kick back to, Debbie Davies’
Love The Gameis a great
choice. It comes heartily recommended.