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Northern California Bluegrass Society provides this CD review. You can find our most current reviews on our Message Board, where you can comment or query the author directly. Our monthly magazine, Bluegrass By the Bay also publishes them. Return to CD Reviews. |
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| Brad Davis | I'm Not Gonna Let My Blues Bring Me Down |
| Review by Brenda Hough | |
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Songs: |
FGM Records 635759-1433-28 |
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Brad Davis is well known as a guitarist in Marty Stuart's band and he has several instructional guitar products with Flatpicking Magazine. So it's no surprise that Brad's instrumental, "California" is full of fast-paced guitar licks and a wide-open feeling that seems to reflect the wide panorama of people and places in California. Brad does triple duty on this one with guitar, mandolin and bass. He also wrote "Dawg Diddy," a jazz-influenced song with David Grier on guitar and Brad on mandolin, bass, drum and vocals. Brad easily shifts between several instruments and he wrote several of the songs as well. Billy Bob Thornton is featured on Brad's "Tell Me Son," a stark song of soldiers facing battle and gathering courage. It's a strong song given these times of war. "Journey Through Misery" is an introspective song seeking redemption and is a contrast to the upbeat "Not Gonna Let My Blues Bring Me Down." The two songs that have the strongest bluegrass feeling are "Big Timber" with Brad's brother Greg on the banjo and "The Clock Strikes Twice" with Earl Scruggs manning the five-string. "Rank Stranger" is a powerful duet with Kelly Knolf that pushes the bluegrass favorite into blues territory. Guitar players will identify with the clever "I Love My Guitar" -"first time I met her she was in control of my heart..."- and Brad adds a melodic guitar setting for the song. This is a strong debut album from a gifted musician. Each listening reveals new layers of meaning in the lyrics and delightful twists and turns in the carefully crafted instrumental settings that blend nuances of bluegrass, blues, country and jazz. |
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