Blues Knights

• Artist: Larry Davis & Byther Smith
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1994
• Total Time: 45:46
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Blues

Review

This, despite the appearance, is not a duet album. Instead, this captures a session from November 20, 1985, with guitarists Larry Davis and Byther Smith fronting the same studio band consisting of guitarist Maurice John Vaughn, bassist Douglas Watson, drummer Julian Vaughn, and tenor saxophonist A.C. Reed. As Bill Dahl points out in the liner notes to the 1994 Evidence reissue Blues Knights, the two frontmen keep true to their essential style, with their supple supporting band following suit. As such, the four Davis cuts are pretty relaxed and jazzy, usually quite alluring but at times a little sleepy. The Smith sessions drive harder with some up-tempo shuffles and swinging grooves offering a nice change of pace (and it sounds like the band welcomes shifting the tempo a little bit, too), but that doesn't necessarily make it a greater session; both musicians acquit themselves well by offering a bit of what they do best. This does not mean that they're at their best -- they simply are doing what they do, and since they're good at it, it's pretty enjoyable. Ultimately, this is just a curiosity for fans of either Davis or Smith, and while it's nice to spin once or twice, it's not something they'll put on a whole lot, either. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Giving Up on Love	Larry Davis	Larry Davis	(5:48)
I Tried	Larry Davis, Don Robey, Joseph Scott	Larry Davis	(3:05)
Teardrops	Larry Davis	Larry Davis	(7:21)
That's All Right	Jimmy Rogers, James A. Lane	Larry Davis	(8:00)
I Don't Have a Mother	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(4:45)
I'm a Honey Bee	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(2:40)
What Is This?	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(3:24)
Don't Make Me Talk Too Much	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(3:06)
Addressing the Nation With the Blues	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(4:35)
I'm Broke	Byther Smith	Byther Smith	(3:02)

Credits

Byther Smith (Performer), Wilfred Harpaille (Engineer), Larry Davis (Vocals), Larry Davis (Guitar), Dominque Samarcq (Mixing), Bill Dahl (Liner Notes), George Rothacker (Artwork), Larry Davis (Performer), Douglas Watson (Bass), Alain Schuster (Photography), A.C. Reed (Sax (Tenor)), Byther Smith (Vocals), Maurice John Vaughn (Guitar), George Roghacker (Cover Design), Byther Smith (Guitar), Wilfred Harpaille (Engineer), Blue (Producer), Jerry Gordon (Reissue Producer), George Rothacker (Art Direction), Disques Black and Blue (Producer), Julian Vaughan (Drums)