For Guy Davis, keeping the blues alive means keeping it alive even its most stripped-down form. The Legend of Sugarbelly is a throwback to the blues’ purest, simplest acoustic form, so reminiscent of Lead Belly and the earliest masters one almost expects to hear the crackle of an old 78-inch record.
Davis is a great musician who has found a niche market space limited to a few friends and followers passionate about pure acoustic blues. The son of African-American entertainment royalty, actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Davis embraced a predominantly country-blues expression echoing Mississippi John Hurt and John Lee Hooker, despite his New York City upbringing. His buoyant personality and massive talent on acoustic guitar, banjo and harmonica shine through on his recordings and in his performances. His clever song writing and refreshing takes on others’ compositions could be heard on albums like Stomp Down the Rider (1995), Butt Naked Free (2000), Give in Kind (2002), Chocolate to the Bone (2003) and Skunkmello (2006). In 2008, Davis joined Otis Taylor and several of the other blues vanguard on Taylor’s project, Recapturing the Banjo, which is where I first ran across his work. That project featured the banjo – which originated in West Africa – in various African-American music forms from ragtime to rock. I selected his 2015 release, Kokomo Kidd, as one of the best blues-based albums that year, and his 2017 collaboration with blues harp specialist Fabrizio Poggi, Sonny and Brownie’s Last Train, was a masterpiece. And his 2021 release, Be Ready When I Call You, with its political overtones, was deservedly nominated for a Grammy.
With The Legend of Sugarbelly, Davis leans farther into the old-timey stripped-down roots of the blues than he’s done before. I’ll admit it took me a few listens to come around, but with 10 original and traditional songs, along with classics by Sam Chatmon, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lead Belly, it’s a great album. Among the best songs are the cover tune, the lighthearted “Kokomo Alley,” the hauntingly beautiful gospel-tinged “Early in the Morning,” and the traditional “12 Gates to the City.”
In addition to Davis’ evident mastery of 6 and 12-string guitars, mandolin, harmonica and banjo, Davis is supported by Professor Louie on organ, Mark Murphy on bass and cello, and Christopher James on mandolin and banjo.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.