“Acoustic” and “blues band” are not words found in conjunction very often these days, particularly when the acoustic element is rooted in the delicate finger-picking styles of the East Coast and Piedmont blues. Dave and his companions do manage to make it work just fine, which is however not as easy as it sounds.
This set was recorded late last year in the Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis, Indiana (that’s a lot of “in”s). All the songs are original compositions, and Dave is backed by Mark Carnes on harmonica, sometimes in the expected Sonny Terry style (try ‘She Can’t Give Me The Blues’), sometimes a little less rural as on ‘Got The Need’, and with a rhythm section of upright bass player Jay Arnold and Charlie Bushor on a stripped right down drum kit that certainly complements the leader. There are indeed shades of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee here, though things get a little tougher when Dave picks up the dobro, adding some excellent Mississippi-flavoured playing (and do I detect a nod of the head to Darby and Tarlton in there?); there are slight hints of vintage John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf ( listen to ‘Take A Look At This’), plus a slight touch of jazz, and all 12 songs are fronted by Dave’s strong but warm vocals. A blues band that is a little different than what you might expect from that description, but very listenable and entertaining.
Norman Darwen