David Evans

David Evans has been performing traditional country blues since 1962. His first musical partner was the late Alan Wilson of Canned Heat. Although mostly known as a blues scholar with more credentials than Mississippi has mud, his skills as a vocalist and guitarist are astounding, having learned directly from many of the old-time blues musicians who were still performing during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these musicians were ones that he recorded and interviewed in his research in Mississippi, Louisiana, and other southern states.

Evans' style is honest and embraces the great blues tradition to which he has devoted his life. His hard work was honored with a Grammy Award for "Best Album Notes" in 2003 for Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton (Revenant Records box set). Evans is also author of Tommy Johnson (1971), Big Road Blues: Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues (1982), and The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Blues (2005), as well as many articles and LP and CD booklet notes on blues. His most recent book is an edited collection of articles by various authors, Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues (2008).

In addition, he is the producer of High Water Records as well as recordings on other labels and has been involved with the careers of blues artists including R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Hammie Nixon, Van Hunt, Jack Owens, Johnny Shines, The Fieldstones, The Hollywood All Stars, Robert Belfour, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Big Lucky Carter, among many others. He plays on recordings by Hammie Nixon and Jessie Mae Hemphill.

His Memphis group, The Last Chance Jug Band, has twice been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program Beale Street Caravan, and released Shake That Thing! on the Inside Memphis label in 1997. His 2002 CD Match Box Blues did very well and has been lauded by blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and Fito de la Parra of Canned Heat. Although his recording career is extensive, this was David Evans' solo debut, other than two tracks on a 1994 anthology, The Spirit Lives On, on the Hot Fox label of Germany. Match Box Blues shows him to be of equal stature as a blues musician as well as scholar. Some of the fourteen tracks include members of the Last Chance Jug Band, and all are captivating performances that are sure to stir enthusiasm among blues and folk music fans from Memphis to Mecca. His latest CD on the Inside Sounds label, Needy Time, was released in July 2007 and contains tracks with Little Victor, Lubos Bena, Billy Gibson, the Last Chance Jug Band, and the Spirit of Memphis Quartet, along with historical tracks with Hammie Nixon and Alan Wilson.

Evans performs solo, in a duo with Elmo Lee Thomas on harmonica, and with the Last Chance Jug Band locally in the Memphis area and sometimes on the road, solo and sometimes with harmonica ace Joe Filisko at American festivals, and in Europe solo and with Little Victor. (That's Victor blowing harp and playing second guitar and percussion on the four tracks here on MySpace.) Evans has made over thirty tours in Europe since 1980, appearing in fifteen countries, and has toured four times in South America, appearing in four countries. He has also given lectures and workshops at many festivals, universities, and other sites in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America. He is Professor of Music at The University of Memphis, where he directs a Ph. D. program in ethnomusicology with a specialization in the regional music of the southern United States.

To view his academic profile, check out http://memphis.edu/evans.htm

To view additional videos, go to Youtube and search under "David Evans" and any of the following titles (Warning: There are other people on Youtube named David Evans, including musicians, politicians, preachers, etc.):

Obama Man/Good Morning, Little School Girl/Pony Blues/David Evans performs Windstorm/David Evans Playing the Blues (Part 1)/David Evans Playing the Blues (Part 2)/David Evans Playing the Blues (Part 3)/Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival part 2 or 5/David Evans by 14. Köpenicker Blues & Jazz Festival/Palestra Delta Blues

Or view a playlist of all videos http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=BE8B823267FE6501

 

Special. David Evans performs "Bring The Boys Back Home" at the Cognac Blues Festival in France (video by Marc Oriol)

David Evans sings "Big Road Blues" (video by Marc Oriol)

David Evans & Little Victor "Long Distance Call"