Rob Donavan. guitar & vocals. Pleased to meet ya! I'm very blessed to be able to make music with a lot of cool people here in Dallas......
I love playing blues with my friends in the ROB DONAVAN TRIO and the TEXAS BLUES CRUISE. I also play classic rock n roll with THE LEEWAYS. I am also trying to get my feet wet in playing praise music.
I gig with bands, in duos, and also solo. I will put together the right thing for what your gig/party/fish fry/whatever else calls for. No problemo.
Also, I love playing sub gigs! Has sickness, flakyness, incarceration, or a scheduling conflict left you a band member short for your next show? Need someone who can jump right in and make it happen? I will play guitar or bass for you too if the price is right!
Influences
Jesus Christ, from whom Blessings flow. Plus Hash Brown (King of the Dallas blues scene! Or at least a crown prince), Sam Myers, old Fab T-Birds, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy, The Wolf (especially with Hubert and/or Willie), Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Johnny Guitar Watson, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Guitar Slim, those Vaughan brothers, Peter Green, Magic Sam, Wes Montgomery, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Rory Gallagher, Luther Allison, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Mr. Clapton, Mr. Beck, Mr. Page, North Mississippi AllStars, Fat Possum stuff like Jr Kimbrough & RL Burnside & T-Model Ford, that Crazy Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Slim Harpo, T-Bone, Albert Collins, Sonny Boy II, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, old Sun Records stuff, early Bobby Blue Bland, early Ike Turner, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Paladins, Chris Duarte, Memphis P-Tails, Holland K. Smith, Jim Suhler, Mike Morgan, Nick Curran, Chris Ruest and like a million other blues guys. Sorry, blues girls too. Irish music! Rock & Roll...Purple, Zep, Stones, Allmans, Black Crowes, Free & BadCo, Aerosmith, Yardbirds, Hendrix, some new stuff like QOTSA & The Strokes. A generous helping of classical especially Wagner, Bach, & Vivaldi.
Sounds Like
ROB SAYS: Depends on my mood, what I've been listening to, and what shape I'm in!
Maybe something smooth, maybe something jagged & rough, maybe something sweet, maybe something nasty? Always with as much heart & soul as possible! ************************ THEY SAY: "Music is a celebration of life. The direct offspring of the trials and tribulations of everyday occurrences, and the triumphs of the spirit. Rob Donavan uses these songs as a conduit to celebrate his emotions. The fact that honesty and truth come out in the music he presents to us is no surprise to myself, or the many blues lovers that have heard Rob Donavan's heartfelt performances through the years, Rob has a way of taking a feeling and transforming it into a musical expression. Live life in the present today and celebrate with him. TURN IT UP, SIT BACK AND ENJOY!"
- Hash Brown, liner notes to "She's Got Soul" August 2005 ************************ THEY SAY: "You can take all your fancy big city heavy duty fan dangled blues albums! Give me good old fashion, homegrown, hard driving, honest, heartfelt blues any day of the week....it's moments like this that give life meaning. There are some awesome original tracks to be sampled here. Here's what I like about Rob Donavan: he's real. It comes across in every song. He's genuine and has a great ability to showcase his emotions and talents into great music."
- Bill Fountain, SOUTHWEST BLUES Nov 2005
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THEY SAY: "If you attend the various jams in and around Dallas, it won’t take too long to find that one of the areas most frequent and congenial players is Rob Donavan. I look at his playing as being smoother and a bit more melodic in style than many players here in Dallas." - Big Jim Wells, SOUTHWEST BLUES Nov 1999
"SHE'S GOT SOUL"...CLICK HERE TO ORDER!
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DALLAS BLUES: In 1997 I moved to Dallas and jumped right into the blues jam scene. Man, things were really hopping then! Hash Brown's jam at the Bone on Tuesdays was still running really strong at the time and in my opinion you could hear some of the finest off-the-cuff, skin-of yer-neck blues playing anywhere in the metroplex when the magic was right. I still had a lot to learn about blues and I soaked it in like a sponge. Every week was like a new lesson.
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PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: After a couple of years of playing in some other people's bands I started doing gigs of my own and trying to put together all the pieces and fragments into a style or at least a sense of identity about the music I wanted to play. I really love the old masters and think it's very important to try to keep the spirit of their music alive. I don't always PLAY too much like a traditionalist cos I'm still a brash rock n roller at heart but I try to at least THINK like a traditionalist. I've been lucky enough to share the stage with many Texas blues personalities such as Hash Brown, Holland K. Smith, Sam Myers, Nick Curran, Blue Lisa, Kim Davis, Miss Marcy, Chris Ruest, Kathy Prather, Marvin Seals, Johnny Moeller, Pops Carter, Robin Banks, Ray Davis, Bobby Walker, Chris Zalez, Bill Johnston, Texas Johnny Boy, Mitch Palmer, Kerrie Lepai, and Debie Babcock. I always tell people, I got my music degree in college but my real education started when I came to Dallas.----WE CAN'T HELP IT! IT'S A SICKNESS: Blues is not the most popular music to play. Lots of times people just want to hear something from the radio. I can understand that. It's not that people like myself don't like other kinds of music...it's just that we're compelled to play blues! We can't help it; it's really a sickness. A sickness we do not want to be cured of. There is a bigger picture that we all fit in to. As more of the world renowned old time honored blues masters pass on from this world they leave gaping holes that no one will ever fill. There are great young players coming up but they do their thing closer to the ground and will probably never become really famous cos big labels won't usually sign it and lots of clubs won't book it. That's not really the point. Blues will be kept alive at the street level, in the trenches, one club date at a time and 12 bars at a time. That's what I hope to spend the rest of my life doing and if I can make some small contribution I will be happy!?!
---------YOU LIKE BLUES EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT!!!
I absolutely believe that everyone likes blues whether they know it or not. Blues is the common foundation for the majority of popular music we all listen to everyday. There would be no rock n roll with out the blues. Or jazz. Or soul. Or R&B. Or any hybrid or offshoot or mutation of ANY of those. That is why is blues needs to be cherished!
Thanks Rob for the endorsement of "Tracks", it is a roadtrip soundtrack! I am looking forward to a Cigar Box Guitar Festival, sometime in the near future! Keep Groovin' jdl
Hey Rob - I really like that "Leaving Just the Same" great stuff man... hope to see you again at a jam sometime, I just haven't had time to be out in the clubs much lately. Keep on keepin that groove alive! - thanks Trace
Hi, I just wanted to let you know I have 2 free show coming up. Aug 5th @ 8 PM @ Opening Bell Coffee off S. Lamar in Dallas. and Aug 15 @ 2 PM @ Bill's Records also off S. Lamar in Dallas, TX I hope to see you there!
Get crazy, cats, our new album "Trust Your Mojo, Sista" is out now! Tune your browsers on our player and let us know if you like what you hear and... don't miss our brand NEW VIDEO!
Rob Donavan...It's finally here! The most unforgettable country music event in East Texas! Mill Creek Ranch Resort presents “Mill Creek Ranch Summer Bash 2009”!! Don’t miss out on this VIP opportunity to stay in the resort, attend the festive concert and actually meet and shake hands with some of today’s top ten country music artists….. all while experiencing first class treatment in Texas’ finest resort! Spaces are very limited, so be sure and reserve your cabin or RV space now to make sure you don’t miss out on this unforgettable stay-n-play getaway under the stars! Event dates are July 24th & 25th in Canton, Texas. Mill Creek Ranch Resort is proud to host Aaron Watson, Deryl Dodd, Rich O’Toole, Jamie Richards ,The Cody Riley Band, Whiskey Fish and ?????………for a 2 day show! For more information visit our website www.TheRanchSummerBash.blogspot.com or call (866) 599-7275 today! www.OutHouseTickets.com
Hi everybody, just here to say our new RORY GALLAGHER HAWK BOOSTER is ready for shipping. Have a listen if you get a chance, All the best, Stevie Flynn.
This Saturday, January 24, 9:30pm, MILTON HOPKINS (9 yrs. with BB King's band and one of the last of the school of "real deal" legends of Texas Rhythm & Blues guitar) & "TEXAS JOHNNY BOY (vocals, harmonica, flute, tenor & alto saxophone) will be in downtown Dallas at a fine club called "PEARL" at 2038 Commerce St, 75201, ph# 214-655-8824. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AND YER FRIENDS AT THE PARTY!!
WE ARE VERY SAD... WE DON'T HAVE WORDS TO SAY ANYMORE... OUR SINGER AND DOBRO PLAYER ENRICO MICHELETTI IS DEAD. GOODBYE ENRICO KEEP THE BLUES ALIVE WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!!
