Boo Boo Davis live at The Ferry, Glasgow
They say that the blues ain't nothing but a feeling. Well Bluesbunny got that feeling when he had the pleasure of hearing blues legend Boo Boo Davis perform at The Ferry. The opportunity to hear the real downhome blues all the way from Mississippi does not come often but that was what the audience got tonight.
Taking to the stage - and looking very smart too - Boo Boo Davis sat down on a flight case and picked up his harmonica. Accompanied by Jan Mittendorp on guitar and John Gerritse on drums, the signs were looking good. No doubt aiming to please the blues stalwarts, this was to be a night of traditional electric blues distinguished by one tightly rehearsed band and Boo Boo Davis's unmistakeable, laidback charm. "East St Louis" and "We're in Hell", for example, grooved like there had been some serious soul selling down at the crossroads. Taking a quick look around the tables confirmed that everybody's foot was tapping. Showing that good natured charm once more, at one point Boo Boo Davis remarked "… why should I do all the hard work" and got the audience to clap along to his songs. Ain't nothing wrong with a bit of showmanship. No, sir!
So there you have it - the gruff, testifying vocals, the yelping harmonica, the solid underpinning from guitar and (unamplified) drums making it all real. Perhaps that is the special thing about hearing old timers like Boo Boo Davis. They are from a time when there was no technology to fake things up and no marketing department to package things up and sell them to us. Musicians had little more than themselves to get and keep their audience. I suppose that is maybe the thing about the blues as well. The blues are indeed for everyone but you really have to hear a master before you can properly appreciate that. Glasgow certainly had a master on stage tonight.
In conclusion, you have got to admire musicians like Boo Boo Davis. He might well have been performing for longer than Bluesbunny has been drinking but he never forgets his audience. Even when the turnout was as low as it was tonight, you never got the feeling that Boo Boo Davis was despondent about it. He just delivered the goods. Nice one.
Reviewer: Handsome Bluesbunny
Review Date: 19 March 2008
Websites
Boo Boo Davis
Black and Tan Records
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