Guy DavisAnn RabsonTwo great blues artists in one night: seasoned acoustic bluesman and Red House Records artist Guy Davis, and boogie-woogie/barrelhouse pianist and gritty vocalist Ann Rabson (cofounder and long-time member of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women). The music of Guy Davis is steeped in the language of his forebears, and pays tribute to the greats of the genre, including Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Son House, Skip James, and more contemporarily, Taj Mahal. Yet, Guy breathes new life into these deep blues roots, and melds his forceful interpretations of the classics with a growing catalog of his own brilliant originals--many of which are clearly destined to become classics in their own right. Through his dexterous slide, dobro and fingerpicked guitar, a sprinkling of banjo, a torrent of harmonica, and a voice that can bark and growl and murmur softly without missing a beat, Guy needs no accompaniment. And then there are the stories. Guy can tell you stories of his great-grandparents and his grandparents, their days as track linemen, and of their interactions with the infamous KKK. He can also tell you that as a child raised in middle-class New York suburbs, the only cotton he’s picked is his underwear up off the floor. He's a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer. But most importantly, Guy Davis is a bluesman. The blues permeates every corner of Davis' creativity. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues and bringing them to as many ears as possible through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces.
As Davis says, "Yes, the old songs may be about black folks eating chicken and eating watermelon but nonetheless they are strong songs of survival. Of surviving brutally hard times and it's that which we celebrate by performing the blues." The need for such music is as great today as it ever was.
Despite worldwide recognition as a distinguished and award-winning musician, Ann Rabson sees herself as simply the vehicle for her art. Seamlessly blending voice, guitar and piano, Ann delivers her music-in a pure form that delights audiences everywhere.She was first touched by the blues at age four when she heard Big Bill Broonzy on the radio. Ann says, "His music spoke to me; my world went from black-and-white to color." Little did Ann know that that three-minute experience would lay the foundation for her adult life. Now in her fourth decade as an internationally acclaimed songwriter, recording artist and performer, Ann creates music that speaks to and entertains people all over the world. Ann Rabson sings in a distinctive contralto voice. Her smoky, gritty delivery draws from a wide vocabulary of bluesy bends, squeals, and sensual whispers to match the story she is telling.
Ann still plays the first instrument she ever touched as a child--a guitar found in her father's attic. Attracted to the Piedmont style of guitar picking, Ann created a unique and ear-catching sound all her own. At age thirty-five, Ann decided to learn the piano. Now honored as a member of the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame and praised as having "the best left hand in the blues," Ann brings the historic blues, boogie-woogie, and barrelhouse styles front and center. Her ability to play challenging left- and right-hand melodies while singing is nothing short of magical!
“Davis never loses sight of the blues as good time music, the original forum for dancing on top of one's sorrows. Joy made more exquisite, of course, by the sorrow from which it springs.” (Dave Marsh)
"Ann plays with staggering authority." (Downbeat)
Tickets are on sale now from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, or online at Ticketweb.
