Artist: Guy Davis
Album: Be Ready When I Call You
Label: MC Records
Release Date: 6.4.21
Guy Davis is always reliable. In recent years, he has become increasingly popular and each successive album holds bags of merit. Be Ready When I Call You is no exception to his seemingly ever-upward trajectory, bursting with flair and passion, fabulous lyrical turns and always peppered with his personal humorous lyrical twists. Easily one of the world’s finest modern masters of traditional acoustic blues music, Davis’ fretwork is to the fore as ever on both guitar and chunky banjo, an instrument he often turns to.
As a writer, Davis has never been one to shun politics and US history. Davis here includes the sobering “God’s Gonna make Things Over,” a tragic track highlighting the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, a shameful episode in US history. On another cut, he clearly refers to former President, Donald J Trump, with a withering lyrical display that is somehow over-shadowed by a near-cheery musical bounce. It’s really this kind of clever musical and lyrical juxtapositioning that is a regular trademark of Davis and his music. With Be Ready When I Call You, there’s no shortage of this kind of approach, making this possibly one of the best releases in the traditional acoustic blues category of the year.
On a personal note, I confess to being a long-time fan of this man and his music, eagerly looking forward to his next offering. This latest is a treasure and little short of fabulous overall. Twelve of the thirteen tracks on offer are penned by Davis himself, making this a watermark creative high in his personal musical development and growth. Grab this fabulous release whenever possible, it’s simply superb.
—Iain Patience
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