CD Review: Blues Blast - Debbie Davies

by Tom Watson.

Blues Blast (Telarc) is the latest release from blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Debbie Davies and represents Davies' 11th album outing as a group leader, or in the case of Blues Blast, a hostess of sorts, as the CD features vocal and instrumental contributions from Coco Montoya, Tab Benoit, and Charlie Musselwhite. One or more of these special guests appears on each of the CD's nine tracks, with all three plus Davies on two tracks – "Like You Was Gone," a song written by frequent Davies drummer Don Castagno (who does not play on Blues Blast) and the closing instrumental track "Sonoma Sunset" written by Davies, Coco Montoya, the recording session's drummer, Per Hanson, and its bass player, Rod Carey. The CD's rhythm section is rounded out by Hammond B3 player Bruce Katz.

"All of us – Tab, Coco, Charlie and myself – are students of the old school, and there’s a sense of history that ties us together," says Davies of Blues Blast, which accurately describes the album's feel, but there's a noteworthy specific history shared by Davies and Montoya – both are the musical offspring of bluesman Albert Collins, the Master of the Telecaster. The Albert Collins connection is a fact both Davies and Montoya wear with pride and reverence and the two pay tribute to their mentor on the opening instrumental track, "A.C. Strut," a Texas shuffle written by Davies reminiscent of great Collins shuffles such as "Frosty" (Ice Pickin', 1978, Alligator Records) and "Avalanche" (Frozen Alive!, 1981, Alligator Records). Though Davies and Montoya have developed individual guitar tones and styles since their time with Collins, "A.C. Strut" is clearly a tribute to the mentor with respect to attack, phrasing, and vibrato. In fact, there are riffs on this track from Davies and Montoya that are eerily similar. The two start out exchanging verses, perhaps separately recalling Collins, but toward the end they trade riffs as if saying to each other, "Remember this one?" The tune's a heartfelt dialog.

It's interesting to note that the album closer, "Sonoma Sunset," is also an instrumental, but one that features the present-day guitar approach of Montoya and Davies, the opening and closing tracks thus giving the listener a good "that was then, this is now" glimpse at the two guitarists. Mention was made in a recent concert review of Montoya's volume-knob-swell technique and you'll hear him use that to good effect on "Sonoma Sunset." Musselwhite and Benoit also deliver ear-catching contributions to the ten-minute tune, making it an overall current-day blues celebration among friends, despite the track's somewhat somber minor-key mood.

Nestled between the opener and closer you'll find: Debbie Davies singing the Buddy Guy classic "My Time After Awhile" with Coco on guitar; a Davies-penned Texas-flavored original, "Sittin' and Cryin'," featuring Coco on guitar and Musselwhite's harmonica; a Musselwhite original, "Movin' and Groovin'," with Charlie on vocals and harmonica; two songs featuring Tab Benoit – John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake" and Howlin' Wolf's (written by Chester Burnett and Willie Dixon) "Howlin' For My Darlin'" – on which Benoit contributes vocals and guitar on the first and guitar on the second; "Like You Was Gone" (the song written by Castagno) on which Davies and her three guests appear; and, "Where The Blues Come To Die" written by Debbie Davies and Dennis Walker and featuring Debbie's vocals and Coco's guitar.

Yes, Blues Blast is essentially old-school-tinged electric blues, but presented in fresh and vital form by road warriors who've made a lifetime commitment to keeping the flame aglow. It's a worthy addition to the collection.

Related Links
Coco Montoya Interview (2007)
Blues Blast press release
Debbie Davies
Telarc

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