| BOO BOO DAVIS :: BIO |
Boo
Boo Davis is the REAL DEAL. He is coming from the same area, period
and tradition as most of the blues greats but there is one huge difference……
Boo Boo is still alive and kicking, writing and singing his music…..
raw first-hand experience blues directly from the Delta.
James 'Boo Boo' Davis was born in Drew, Mississippi in the heart of Delta. It was the richest cotton land in the South and the large amounts of field workers attracted the best musicians from the surrounding areas. The entire Delta region was rich with blues, but the town of Drew was a particularly fertile one. Charley Patton stayed near Drew for many years and several legendary performers spent time there.
Boo Boo's father, Sylvester Davis farmed cotton and played several instruments. Musicians who he played with include John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Pete Williams and Robert Petway. Boo Boo remembers these and other musicians dropping by and rehearsing at their house.
At the age of five Boo Boo was playing the harmonica and singing in church with his mother. By thirteen he was playing guitar, and by eighteen he was playing out with his father and older brothers under the name of The Lard Can Band. This band traveled all throughout the Delta and Boo Boo recalls a Battle of Music between The Lard Can Band and a young BB King.
In the early sixties Boo Boo and his brothers moved to East St Louis and started playing real drums. His first gig was with Doc Terry. After he left Doc Terry he started a band with Little and that band became one of the hottest backup bands in St Louis.
In 1972 Boo Boo formed another Davis family band known as the Davis Brothers Band, It was the weekend house band at a club called Tabby's Red Room in East St Louis for eighteen years. They played from 2 to 6 a.m. every Friday and Saturday and ever since Boo Boo has been a regular in the St Louis blues scene.
Boo Boo can be heard on the Arthur Williams CD Harpin' It Out. Boo Boo's recording debut under his own name took place in September 1999 and the result was released on Black and Tan in January 2000. The CD (East St Louis) got very nice reviews in the international blues magazines and is played on blues radio stations all over the world.
In the USA Boo Boo performed among others at the KING BISCUIT BLUES FESTIVAL (Helena, AR) and the POCONOS BLUES FESTIVAL.
His first European tour took place in April 2000 and he performed in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and the UK. In the UK he made recordings for the BBC Radio. Since then Boo Boo is touring Europe at least twice a year and he has played on a lot of prestigious jazz & blues festivals all over Europe. Just a few: NANCY JAZZ PULSATIONS (F), Bluesfestival in Eslov (Sweden). Colne GB Blues Festival (UK) and the NORTH SEA JAZZFESTIVAL (NL).
In April 2002 he released his second CD (Can Man) and in February 2004 the third one (The Snake). Both of them have been critically acclaimed. On his brand new CD (Drew, Mississippi) Boo Boo teamed up with Ramon Goose (from nublues) and they fused the raw blues sounds from the Mississippi delta with modern grooves. Like all the greats from the blues history Boo Boo's singing has a timeless component that makes his message come thru loud and clear.-- back to top --
| REVIEWS |
"Blues
and Hip Hop are two styles that on the surface have little in common.
They both play to completely different audiences. However they both
have the same root. Boo Boo Davis goes straight to that root and comes
up with an end result that is quite funky and enjoyable. He isn't
the first to try this. However in my opinion he is the first to succeed!!
So what does the album "Drew, Mississippi" by Boo Boo Davis
sound like??? Well I think that it's what Muddy Waters or John Lee
Hooker would sound like if they were young bluesmen in 2006.” -- Bob Davis from Soul Patrol (USA)
"The
entire disc was recorded live in the studio, which is no doubt part
of the of the reason for the music's sensual, high-energy cohesiveness......
Little Milton re-incarnated as backstreet signifier.........This
CD is a blast of fresh air."
-- Living Blues (USA)
"Boo
Boo is one of the last real down-hone blues singers around, with
a big authentic voice akin Howlin’ Wolf or John Lee Hooker
and a no-nonsense approach to work. Maybe it is Ramon Goose exhibits
a good understanding of the genre and he is able to adapt rhythms
and arrangements to modern ears without sacrificing the integrity
of the blues – or changing things for the change’s sake.
Maybe it is because Boo Boo is a strong enough leader to pull it
off whatever is going on behind him. I found this CD highly successful."
-- Blues in the South (UK)
“Combining
traditional blues patterns and BOO BOO’s huge voice with the
synth parts and scratching could have been a recipe for disaster,
however it works rather well. …. Linking modern sounds to
traditional blues is not a new idea; it’s been tried (and
it has failed) before. Depending on your point of view, DREW, MISSISSIPPI
could be challenging but ultimately rewarding, or it could be total
crap, I am glad to ascribe the former view, stick with it, it’s
worth it in the end“
-- Blues & Rhythm (UK)
“The
Snake does succeed in showcasing several sides of the eccentric
singer and harp player. It’s at times wicked, at time heartfelt,
and always brimming with plain common sense. His dozen songs are
refreshing and unabashedly simple.”
-- Blues Wax
-- Blues Bytes (USA)
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| AUDIO / VIDEO |
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