Guy Davis is the son of famed actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. I mentioned this before, but sometimes when listening to Guy’s music I have to remind myself because he often sounds more like he grew up the child of Mississippi sharecroppers.
Davis’ latest album Be Ready When I Call You is the music inspired by a hardscrabble life, where everything is hard-earned. But Guy Davis can close the deal, because Guy Davis is a seasoned storyteller and a messenger of hard truths, balanced by a humble wit.
Oftentimes, Davis is placing himself convincingly in the mind of a musician who lived about a hundred years ago; “Badonkadonk Train” is pre-Depression blues with a ragtime vibe. “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” refers to the Tulsa Race Riot from a century ago, and Davis sells the song as something written by an eyewitness right after that tragic event occurred.
From Tulsa in 1921 to Flint in 2021, Davis turns his attention to another needless catastrophe suffered by people of color; “Flint River Blues” is a contemporary tragedy rendered as a prewar country blues tune. Over these two songs, Davis makes the point that for some people, nothing’s really changed.
The societal concerns don’t stop at American shores, though; “Palestine Oh Palestine” looks at the Arab-Israeli conflict from the lens of a Palestinian fearful of encroaching Jewish settlements and Israeli police. And then in an unexpected twist, Davis takes on the perspective of an Israeli mother, perfectly portraying how intractable the problem is.
When there’s subdued instrumentation, the singing voice is relied upon more for the song to touch the soul and Davis uses his to great effect. The acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and a hint of organ gorgeously sets up the gentle feel of “Got Your Letter In My Pocket,” and Davis earnestly sings to a past lover about their hidden love affair with uncommon ease. “I Thought I Heard The Devil Call My Name” similar to “Got Your Letter In My Pocket,” except no organ and more mandolin. Here, Davis’ voice even sounds a lot like Satchmo. Davis speak-sings the rockin’ “Be Ready When I Call You,” in a slightly sinister way fully in character for the devil role that the narrator is taking on. “Every Now And Then” gets by on just a little banjo and guitar, and a lot of self-effacing charm.
“I Got A Job In The City” returns the topics to more traditional ones for blues, and feature some down and dirty guitar soloing. Davis has played so many songs on this album that resembles old blues classics that maybe it was inevitable he’d include an actual classic. He got that covered with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Spoonful” and his growl is so proper for the song.
Guy Davis’ Be Ready When I Call You is now out, courtesy of M.C. Records.
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