Guy Davis

The Legend of Sugarbelly

M.C. Records

Seventy-two year old Guy Davis is a multiple instrumentalist. An American blues guitarist, he plays 6 & 12-string guitars, mandolin, 5 & 6-string banjos, and harmonica. He is also a fine vocalist. On this new album “The Legend of Sugarbelly” he is also accompanied by organist Professor Louie, and Chris James on mandolin and 6-String banjo. A two-time Grammy Award nominee, Guy is the second child and only son of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Davis’ blues, was inspired by the Southern speech of his grandmother. Through raised in the New York City area, Guy grew up hearing stories of life in the rural south from his parents and grandparents. The self-taught guitarist was first exposed to the blues at summer camp in Vermont, where he learned to play the five-string banjo.

Throughout his life Guy has had overlapping interests in both music and acting. He appeared on television as Dr. Josh Hall in “One Life to Live” from 1985 to 1986. He made his Broadway musical debut in a 1991 production of “Mulebone” featuring the music of Taj Mahal. In 1993, Guy performed in an off-Broadway production where he portrayed blues musician “Robert Johnson:Trick the Devil”, he received rave reviews and became the 1993 winner of a Blues Foundation “Keeping the Blues Alive Award”, presented to him by Robert Cray, at a Handy Awards ceremony.

In 1978 Guy released his album debut “Dreams About Life” on Folkways Records. As his popularity grew he released nine albums on the Red House Records label, beginning with 1995’s “Stomp Down Rider” and ending with 2009’s “Sweetheart Like You”. In 2012, Guy released an audio play called “The Adventures of Fishey Waters: In Bed with the Blues”. In 2015 Guy released his album “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train”, on M.C. Records, with the Italian harmonica ace Fabrizio Poggi and it received a 2017 Grammy nomination as Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year. “The Legend of Sugarbelly”, also on M.C. Records, is the follow-up album to 2021’s “Be Ready When I Call You”.

This newest album opens with the title track “Sugarbelly” as Guy sings the lyric “If she had a thousand lovers. She didn’t love not a one. But a Jealous lover took her life and cried when he was done”. On “Kokomo Alley” Guy chimes “I’m going to Kokomo Alley, baby don’t you want to go ? I’m gon’ take you someplace that you never been befo’, if you got you a woman better pin her to your side, if she flags my train, I’mma slow down ‘n’ let her ride, the woman I love got hips that are 6 ft wide, Y’oughta see her rock them hips from side to side”. “Who’s Gonna Love You Tonight (That’s Alright)” was learned by Guy from the great bearded Sam Chatmon.

On “Early In The Morning” Guy croons “Come look for me early in the morning, this time tomorrow, I may be gone…dry your tears, where I go you cannot follow, wash my face when my journey starts”. “In The Evening Time”, “I go walking, just to cool my mind, early in the morning, hear the rooster crow, I drink my coffee, down the road I go.” “Little David Play On Your Harp” is from the Opera singer Kathleen Battle. “Firefly”, “Since my childhood I’ve been enchanted with Lightning bugs…watch your tiny light go by…firefly come out at night, wish that I could steal your light”, as Guy clawhammers the banjo.

Guy learned “Long Gone Riley Brown”, derived from two songs, “Long Gone” and “Lost John”; the medley was learned at summer camp. “Come Gitchu Some” is a song about Moonshine “Stunkeymot is a brand new liquor, if you drink it real fast you can get drunk quicker, men drink stunkeymot to charge their power, while the women who drink it wanna charge by the hour…drink Dr. Stunkeymot’s moonshine whiskey, won’t you buy a little bottle today”. “Black Snack Moan” is from Leadbelly’s 12-string guitar version of a Blind Lemon Jefferson classic. “Laura” is a song about a young man who hung around the shanty where Guy’s grandparents stayed, while grandpa was on a railroad job…when he finally had enough he came outside, grabbed the fellow and threw him up on the roof”. “Twelve Gates To The City” is another song learned at summer camp when Guy was eight years old, Guy states “there are so many paths to heaven that no one religion can contain them all”. On the closer “Don’t Know Where I’m Bound”, Guy sings “got on this road and I lost my way, don’t know where I’m bound”.

Guy states “The Legend of Sugarbelly”, “has a sound that rubs against your ears like soft Autumn kisses and goes down as smooth as the finest whiskey”. No matter if Guy is singing or playing an instrument he is without a doubt a Blues master.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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