Blues & Ragtime [CD]

Reverend Davis is one of those figures whose creativity covered such a wide range that one can come back again and again and always find something new. This release certainly proves that. There is only the one gospel song, but the interplay between voice and instrument can be heard on songs like Hesitation Blues and Candyman. The ragtime and blues playing here are definitive examples of American guitar, i.e. Walkin' Dog Blues, Twelve Sticks, Buck Rag, Buck Dance. There is hokum hilarity and novelty (the slide on Whistlin' Blues) to balance the sheer instrumental force. And there is a lot more: Little Boy, Little Boy Who Made Your Britches is a song that might slip through the cracks on a compilation like this, but a careful listen reveals a piece that is so unique it is hard to categorize.