Daryl Davis is a fixture on the DC music scene and arguably one of the finest blues and boogie-woogie pianists anywhere, not just in DC. Influenced by many of the greats of jazz and blues piano, Davis was fortunate to have been taken under the wing of Chuck Berry's pianist, Johnnie Johnson, and the legendary Pinetop Perkins, who helped him mature into a master of blues and boogie-woogie piano. Additionally, as those who have witnessed his performances at clubs, festivals, or swing dance, he is no slouch on a guitar. While it has taken some time, he has put together an album, American Roots on the British Armadillo label.
Put together at several sessions in the area, the disc displays Davis' versatility and is certainly a lively album which is at its best when his piano is at the fore. Comprised of originals, some like the rollicking I'm a Boogie Man display the pumping piano and Daryl's energetic vocals, although the backing vocal chorus is dispensable. As many know, Daryl often works with Chuck Berry, and We All Owe a Debt is a tribute to his sometimes employer. Other tunes evoke other legends of blues and rock'n'roll, including Little Richard (Let Me Boogie With Your Woogie) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Going Back to the Country). However, Lewis seems more of an influence on Davis' playing. Phil Wiggins adds his harmonica to this selection.
With a variety of backing musicians present, the level of the groups varies, with some of the rhythm sections are more workmanlike than others. Bob Margolin lends his guitar to a rocking Broadminded, one of two selections on which Ron Holloway adds his authoritative saxophone. Two piano features, Double "D" Blues, a tribute to Johnnie Johnson, and the closing Y2K Boogie, dedicated to Pinetop Perkins, display his terrific piano playing. I'm Coming Back is a terrific slow blues that suggests that Davis could produce a killer straight blues album.
Some of the material may be a bit lightweight, but this is in keeping with Davis' ability to get people up and dancing. And his playing is never insubstantial.
I likely received this CD from Armadillo, This review originally appeared in the June 2002 DC Blues Calendar. Many of the songs here are available on a CD Daryl produced, Greatest Hits. Here is Daryl performing.
I’m sure many of your are already familiar with the talents of John Cephas, one of today’s leading exponents of Piedmont blues fingerstyle guitar, and a singer whose honey-tinged vocals suggest the legendary Big Bill Broonzy. One should not forget that his partner, Phil Wiggins is a marvelous master of the blues harmonica whose subtly nuanced playing and solos complement and enhances Cephas’ singing. The two have become favorites around the world with their distinctive sound.
"Homemade" is a mix of some classic blues songs that should be highly familiar to their many fans along with some strong original blues. Included are such staples of their live concerts as Blind Boy Fuller’s "Mamie" and "Pigmeat," Memphis Minnie's "Me and My Chauffeur," and Skip James’ "Illinois Blues." While I believe some of these songs have been recorded by the duo before, those recordings may have been only on out-of-print tapes or records. All of these songs receive very personalized and thoughtful interpretations. Daryl Davis adds his strong piano to the rendition of "Worried Life Blues," which is dedicated to the late Big Chief Ellis, with whom Cephas and Wiggins played with years ago. There is also a fine idiomatic rendition of the classic "Trouble in Mind" which mistakenly lists the Richard Jones composition as traditional.
Additionally, the album contains a number of new songs including one about the dangerous "SpiderWoman" that Mike McQuade contributed the lyric to while Cephas composed the melody. John, Phil, and producer Joe Wilson combined to put together the bawdy original, "Jelly Roll," and Phil wrote the original "Sounds of the Blues," on which he takes the vocal. Cephas’ describes his own "I WasDetermined," simply as “That’s mine, my story,” as he sings about his life in music. This is another solid recording sought after by their already existing fans and certainly serves as a nice introduction to their music.
This review originally appeared in 1999 in issue 238 of the Jazz & Blues Report. I received my review copy from Alligator Records. Here are the two performing at the White House in 1999.
Bobby Parker was one of the highlights of the 1st DC Blues Festival. If you are going to celebrate a 25th Festival you could have brought back some of the local legends still with us.
As a Duke Ellington composition puts it, “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.” Looking back 24 years ago around this time I remember meetings that Michael Roach, Eleanor Ellis and I had at a District of Columbia recreation center near Dupont Circle. The DC Blues Society held instrumental workshops at that recreation center where the likes of Neil Harpe and Michael Roach (then the Society’s President) would teach guitar and Charlie Sayles teach blues harmonica. I would conduct listening sessions of recordings from different blues traditions there as well. That afternoon, Mike mentioned that there was interest on some folks in having events East of the Anacostia River, and one such event turned into the first DC Blues Festival.
A few months later in late August 1989 (I believe two Saturdays prior to Labor Day weekend) the Society produced the DC Blues Festival in Anacostia Park. A couple hundred people showed up on that overcast day and I remember that Guest Services provided only one food truck (which ran out of food except ice cream), so I was hungry. I also remember was the outstanding music that day. The festival opened with Flora Molton joined by Eleanor Ellis opening with her truth music. Other acts that day included Franklin, Harpe & Usilton joined by Phil Wiggins; Archie Edwards; Ben Andrews; Bobby Parker; Nap Turner; the Uptown Rhythm Kings; and Jesse James & the Raiders. Charlie Sayles and His Blues Disciples (which also included Larry Wise) may also have performed. Also Mike Roach brought on the finger style guitar master, Duck Baker, who did a couple of wonderful numbers.
Eleanor Ellis was among those who founded the DC Blues Society and helped produce the 1st DC Blues Festival. At the first festival she performed with Flora Molton. She is one of the finest acoustic blues practitioners alive. If she was at the Blues Festival, she would have been with the Archie Edwards Ensemble. She should have been on the main stage
In the intervening years a number of the performers, Flora Molton, Archie Edwards, Ben Andrews, Nap Turner and Jesse James (Johnson) passed on while the Uptown Rhythm Kings broke up. It should be noted that a number of the performers, Franklin, Harpe and Usilton, Daryl Davis, Bobby Parker and Charlie Sayles are still with us. Also with us are Eleanor Ellis who played with Flora Molton as well as Phil Wiggins, who sat in with Franklin, Harpe & Usilton.
The next year, the Festival moved to Langdon Park in NE Washington where it was for three years and in 1993 the Festival moved to the Carter Barron where for the first few years it took place on the Saturday after Labor Day. What a line-up we had back then. It was the first time that we had Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women, along with Willie Kent and the Gents, Johnnie Johnson (Chuck Berry’s pianist); The Nighthawks, Jesse Yawn & the Soul Providers; The Whop Frazier Band; Mixed Blend with Bernée Colbert (and David Cole on guitar) and Eric Butz and Friends opened it. The mix of National acts and touring acts was quite something and acoustic blues was an integral part of the Festival.
Two years later on September 9, 1995, Bobby Parker headlined a festival line-up that also included Daryl Davis; the wonderful Mississippi Heat; Larry Wise; Delta blues man John Weston; West Virginia traditional bluesman Nat Reese and the trio of Franklin, Harpe and Usilton. Again I note the mix of acoustic and electric blues at the festival as well as an outstanding mix of local and national acts on the main stage.
Phil Wiggins and the Chesapeake Sheiks is a marvelous new group featuring one of the DC Blues Society's founders.
Which brings me to this year’s DC Blues Festival, the 25th and the 21st at the Carter Barron. One would think the festival would be a celebration of the Society and its heritage and that at least one or two of the performers from the first few festivals might have been included in the line-up on the main stage. I will let you go to the DC Blues Society’s website to view the line-up for this year's festival. In my humble opinion a line-up that included Franklin, Harpe & Usilton (and friends); Charlie Sayles, Daryl Davis and/or Bobby Parker would be at least as entertaining (if not more so) than the scheduled line-up. You could have celebrated Bobby's Birthday. I would not be as negative about this line-up if this wasn’t the 25th Festival and the line-up indicated some awareness of the Society and Festival's history. The Archie Edwards Barbershop Jambassadors (who usually include Eleanor Ellis and Rick Franklin) should have been on the main stage, not outside the main gate of the Carter Barron. Phil Wiggins could have been featured with his marvelous new ensemble the Chesapeake Sheiks. Even if just one or two of these performers had been part of the main stage, it would made things better. All I know is that the DC Blues Festival ain’t what it used to be.
The annual Tinner Hill Blues Festival was at Cherry Hill Park in the City of Falls Church, Virginia for a full afternoon of blues. Perhaps the highlight for me was Sista Monica Parker and her band that included the DC area's marvelous Deanna Bogart on saxophone. Sista Monica Parker is aA vocalist with power and nuance, she can caress a lyric before belting out her heartbreak or defiance. Mix in her ability to communicate with the audience in introducing her songs and her excellent band with Danny B on keyboards, and one has one superb blues performance.
Pearl Bailes, Eleanor Ellis and Gina DeSimone of the Acoustic Blues Women
It was a day of marvelous blues which opened with acoustic blues by Sheryl Warner and the Southside Housewreckers (Greg Kimball on guitar and Rick Manson on harmonica) and The Acoustic Blues Woman (Eleanor Ellis and Gina DeSimone on guitars, Pearl Bailes on harmonica and Pat Quinn on bass) both providing lively versions of classic blues from the twenties and thirties. Roy Bookbinder played a mix of classics from Gary Davis and Pink anderson as well as originals in the style of early ragtime influenced blues.
Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins
The mood got electric with Albert White and Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins representing the Music Maker Relief Foundation with Sol Roots on bass. White is a very soulful performer on his own and did a couple songs before Ms. Watkins, whose career extends over 50 years told her she was back in business. Besides her guitar theatrics, one of the highlight's was her rendition of Roy Lee Johnson's "Mr. Moonlight" which some will be familiar from The Beatles cover. Johnson and her were members of Piano Red's Band (I believe it was known as Dr. Feelgood & the Interns at the time), and still play together at times. Next up was Sista Monica who I already have raved about. After Monica, Daryl Davis came on the pump some boogie woogie, blues and rock and roll. Chris Polk was with him on guitar and Deanna Bogart joined Daryl for his set as Daryl showed why he is a "Boogie Woogie Man," and even channeled Chuck Berry in his set (Daryl is Chuck's East Coast pianist).
Chris Polk on guitar and Daryl Davis
The only mis-booking was Mary Ann Redmond whose set only gave a nod to blues, although she is a fine singer and her band with guitarist Dan Hovey is excellent. Just that it was not blues. The day closed with Big Bill Morganfield channeling his legendary father Muddy Waters with some fabulous blues opening with "Blow Wind Blow Wind," and included "Hootchie Kootchie Man." His band included two harmonica players. It ended a fabulous day of music. I was pleased to volunteer at this festival which has one of the strongest blues line-ups in the Mid-Atlantic region. Congratulations to Nikki and Ed Henderson, the moving forces behind the Tinner Hill Foundation and the Festival.
Sista Monica will be one of the headliners at this year's Tinner Hill Blues Festival
Robert Hughes an excellent guitarist (with Teeny Tucker), song-writer and photographer, posted in Facebook about the demise of the Monterey Blues Festival. Among his observations was one about how hard is was getting to find blues festivals that actually focused on blues performers as opposed to festivals that featured bluesy pop acts and blues rockers. With this is mind, the Tinner Hill Blues Festival certainly falls within those Blues Festivals devoted to presenting blues and not pop and rock music rebadged as blues and arguably is the best straight Blues Festival in the Washington DC area for the 2013 Festival season.
It is five weeks until the Tinner Hill Festival takes place at Cherry Hill Park in the City of Falls Church. Presented in the City by the Tinner Hill Foundation, the Festival includes some free as well as ticked events. I previously posted about the concert at The State Theatre with John Hammond, and Phil Wiggins & the Chesapeake Sheiks on Friday June 7 and here is the link. On Saturday, June 8, the Festival takes place at Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church with a lineup headlined by Sista Monica and Bill Morganfield (in the video clip below performing a somng associated with Muddy Waters, She's 19 Years Old.
Saturday, the music moves to Cherry Hill park where it will start at noon. First up will be Sheryl Warner and the Southside Housewreckers from Richmond, Virginia. This acoustic trio does their own take on early down home blues from the Piedmont, Delta and Chicago. It has been sometime since they last performed in the Washington area, but they have brought their wonderful acoustic blues to the Herndon Blues Festival and the DC Blues Festival in the past. Here is a clip of them in performance.
Following them will be The Acoustic Blues Womenfeaturing Eleanor Ellis, Pearl Bailes, Gina DeSimone & Pat Quinn. This eclectic group of Blues Women playing songs influenced by Memphis Minnie, John Jackson and Chuck Berry. Eleanor Ellis, if she had sought it, would be regarded as among the greatest living female acoustic blues women and Pearl Bailes often plays with her on harmonica. I am not as familiar with Gina DeSimone or Pat Quinn, but Gina does regularly conduct workshops for the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, so her performance should be a real delight.
Roy Bookbinder follows them. A student of the legendary Reverend Gary Davis,and a friend of the late John Jackson, Roy is one of the finest fingerstyle guitars alive with a wide repertoire that he provides his own style too. Match his guitar playing with his natural vocals and his story telling, and you have one of the most entertaining acoustic blues performers around. Above is a video of Roy performing Blind Blake's Police Dog Blues, a Blind Blake tune that Roy's friend, the late John Jackson performed.
After this trio of acoustic acts, Beverly “Guitar’ Watkins will hit the stage. Currently one of the performers associated with the Music Makers Foundation, Beverly was a member of the band of Piano Red/ Dr. Feelgood. One of the rare female blues guitarists, her association with the Music Maker Foundation in 1995 led to the release of an acclaimed recording Back in Business, and she certainly is as she will belt out her vocals as she plays with her guitar behind her back. Below she performs Back in Business.
Daryl Davis and his Band will follow with a set of blues, boogie woogie and rock and roll. Daryl is one of the DC area’s premier pianists who was mentored by the late legends, Johnnie Johnson and Pinetop Perkins. Daryl replaced Pinetop as the pianist in the Legendary Blues Band for a spell, and is Chuck Berry’s pianist on many East Coast performances by that legendary figure.
Mary Ann Redmond is among the area’s finest blues and roots singers who has won numerous local awards. A versatile singer, she sings with feeling and nuance. Currently she is working on a jazz vocal recording that was funded through Kickstarter. When she is at the Tinner Hill Blues Festival, we can expect her to focus on the blues that is the core of her performances. Here she performs Georgia.
Guitarist Vasti Jackson gave Sista Monica Parker the label of “Lioness of the Blues,” which fairly describes the power and impact of her vocals and performances. Sista Monica Parker, returns to the Washington area after being one of the high points of the 2012 DC Blues Festival. In a review of her last recording, Living in the Danger Zone I wrote, “She is able to caress a lyric with a whisper before belting out her shouts without it ever sounding mannered or forced. Sista Monica will suggest to some the late Etta James, who along with Koko Taylor, Katie Webster and Ruth Brown, among the Sista’s major inspirations. However, she is her her woman and imitates no one. With a tight band that includes her long-time collaborator Danny B. (Daniel Beconcini), plenty of strong original material and select covers, she commands attention with the soul, warmth and passion she exhibits.”
Closing out the Festival on Saturday will be Big Bill Morganfield, a son of the legendary Muddy Waters, who performs in the tradition of his dad, Muddy Waters. If Big Bill is not a blues performer of his father's stature (and there are few today who are of his stature), it does not diminish the fact that he has become a superb purveyor of classic Chicago-styled blues, whether reviving some of his father’s classic blues, or presenting his originals in the same style. His classic Chicago blues will end a day of blues that will take us from the down home blues of the Delta and the Piedmont to the Urban Blues of Atlanta, the West Coast and Chicago.
Here is Sista Monica in performance.
In addition to the performances there will be blues films showing for free at the Falls Church Community Center and a morning panel on the blues with some of the performers participating. For more information on the Festival visit http://tinnerhill.org/blues-festival.
I am part of the Tinner Hill Blues Festival Committee although I joined after the line-up was finalized.
Sunday night, April 14, Daryl Davis, a mainstay of the Washington DC blues and roots music scene, performed with some friends at a fundraiser for the Tinner Hill Blues Festival. The fundraiser took place at a residence in Arlington Virginia and was catered by the Falls Church location of Famous Dave's BBQ.
Daryl performed solo a wonderful first set (and nice to see him on a real piano and not an acoustic piano. After a break he returned with drummer, harmonica and Bobby Parker's saxophone player for more rousing music. Daryl has played at numerous shows and festivals in the DC area (He played the 1st DC Blues Festival in 1989), and tours with the legendary Chuck Berry on the East Coast of the United States. Mentored by the late Johnnie Johnson (Chuck's original pianist) and Pinetop Perkins, he plays strong two-handed boogie woogie and blues along with some rock and roll and even old pop songs.
A fun evening of music and friends. Daryl will also be performing as part of the Tinner Hill Blues Festival. His performance will take place on Saturday afternoon, June 8. Visit www.tinnerhill.org for more information.
The 20th Annual Blue Bird Blues Festival takes place Saturday, September 22 at Prince George's Community College with the legendary Bobby 'Blue' Bland headlining. The Free Festival takes place from 12:30–6 p.m. at Prince George’s Community College's Largo campus. There will be the live entertainment, along with children’s activities, music workshops, food and crafts to engage the senses and offer entertainment for the whole family. Admission is free. Headlining will be the great Bobby Bland. Bland has been one of the most prominent blues singers for over fifty years with countless classic recordings. He has been honored by The Blues Foundation by being inducted to The Blues Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and The Rhythm and Blues Foundation who awarded him a Pioneer Award. Bland had 23 top ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts including Farther Up the Road, I'll Take Care of You,I Pity the Fool and Turn On Your Love Light. The English Ace label labelled a compilation of some of his classic Duke Recordings simply as The Voice. In more recent years, Bland has been recording for Malaco and continues to produce timeless and soulful blues recordings including Members Only, You've Got to Hurt Before You Heal and a terrific cover of Ain't No Sunshine. Bland has long been a favorite in the Washington DC area, and it is a coup for the Blue Bird Festival to be featuring him this year.
Also on the line-up on the outdoor stage will be Clarence Carter. Carter, like Bland, has been a mainstay on the southern soul-blues circuit for decades with such classic recordings as "Patches" and "Strokin'." Local favorites Bobby parker and The Orioles will be among those performing on the main outdoor stage. There will also be a full program of blues also at the the Nap Turner Stage located in Queen Anne Fine Arts. Performers on this stage includeDaryl Davis, Phil Wiggins, Little Bit A Blues featuring Warner Williams & Jay Summerour, and The Jewels. It promises to be a terrific day of blues and congratulations to Prince George's Community College for continuing this terrific annual event.
I have known Rick Franklin for over twenty years. Not only is he amongst the finest acoustic blues players in the Mid-Atlantic, but a wonderful person. As a musician he was fortunate to learn from such masters as the legends of DC Piedmont blues, John Jackson, John Cephas and Archie Edwards, with whom he would jam with and later share stages with. He was among the musicians that played at the concert at which the DC Blues Society was founded and has continued to develop and grow as a musician over the years. I met Rick through the DC Blues Society and we were both on the DC Blues Society's Board of Directors in its early years and watched him perform on countless occasions over the years.
When one of his daughters was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he became a fervent supporter of efforts to end this terrible affliction. One of his fundraising efforts is an annual MS IS BS BBQ and Blues Jam Fundraiser that takes place Saturday afternoon, August 18 at the Barcroft Community House, 800 S. Buchanan Street in Arlington, Virginia. It runs from noon until 5:00 PM.
Performers include Rick himself and His Delta Blues Boys that will include a variety of musician friends of Rick to support him as he plays a variety of blues and hokum music. Also appearing on this program are the Sheryl Sears Trio; M.S.G - the Acoustic Blues Trio; and Daryl Davis.
Sheryl Sears is a wonderful vocalist who is the amongst those who have emerged out of the weekly jams of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. M.S.G. is comprised of Jackie Merritt, Miles Spicer, and Resa Gibbs whose performances are centered on the Piedmont blues which they interpret in their own style to which they add original blues and folk songs. Daryl Davis has been a fixture on the mid-Atlantic blues circuit for over a quarter of a century. While known as a master of boogie woogie and blues piano, he is also an exceptional guitarist who will mix in rock and roll and country into his sets. He was mentored by the late Pinetop Perkins and Johnny Johnson and also is Chuck Berry's East Coast pianist.
It will be a terrific afternoon of entertainment and there will be BBQ to enjoy along with the music and support the cause For more details: http://msisbs.org/event/4th-annual-bbq-blues-jam. See you there. And to whet your musical appetite, here is a video of Rick performing.
I had the privilege of knowing that late John Cephas as well as Phil Wiggins who were cornerstone’s of the Washington DC and vicinity blues scene as well as became internationally known for their style of Piedmont blues. The following review was originally published in the July-August 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. It also appeared in the July-August issue of Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 284). I have made very slight stylistic edits. This was I believe their final album on Alligator.
The release of the new Alligator CD, Shoulder to Shoulder by (John) Cephas & (Phil) Wiggins will certainly be welcome by lovers of acoustic blues lovers everywhere, not simply here in the DC area. The two are in usual fine form with Cephas assured guitar and Wiggins remarkable crying harmonica. Ann Rabson adds piano to six tracks while Daryl Davis is heard on one.
This opens when a fine Cephas original, Ain’t Seen My Baby that shows off Cephas Piedmont guitar style, and closes with a blues taken from Robert Johnson’s Walking Blues, The Blues Three Ways on which Daryl Davis adds some solid piano. In between those numbers, the pair rework Skip James recording of the Delta classic Catfish Blues, on which Cephas shows himself to be one of the most consistently able interpreters of James’ music. Another highpoint is Cephas’ Piedmont reworking of Charlie Patton’s deep delta blues, Dirt Road, with Rabson’s piano adding to the tunes flavor. Seattle Rainy Day Blues is another standout original with a wonderful lyric and solid piano from Rabson behind the two.
The performances are consistently strong with the piano especially lending a bit more city feel to some of these excellent performances in what is another excellent addition to their body of recordings.
I received my review copy from Alligator.
As a postscript, while John Cephas passed away, Phil Wiggins stills performs as well as teaches. He can often be heard performing with Corey Harris, as well as with DC area bluesman Rick Franklin. He regularly gives harmonica workshops at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation.
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