Live at Newport

• Artist: Reverend Gary Davis
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Type: Live, Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Blues

Review

Long before Christian rockers were using so-called "Devil's music" to promote a religious message, the Rev. Gary Davis demonstrated that acoustic blues and folk didn't have to be about matters of the flesh. Davis, a fascinating cult figure, was as authentic a blues/folk singer as Leadbelly, but he was also a Baptist minister -- and he managed to bring Christian-oriented lyrics to people who weren't necessarily religious. Davis didn't believe in preaching to the choir exclusively; blues and folk venues often became his "pulpit." This reissue focuses on Davis' appearance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival; by that time, he was 69, and many of the people who were attending his live performances weren't even born when he made his first recordings in 1935. Live at Newport isn't for gospel purists any more than it is for blues purists. Most of the performances (which find Davis accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harp) are acoustic folk rather than actual 12-bar blues, and even though Davis picks a lot of songs that reflect his Christian beliefs (including "I've Done All My Singing for My Lord," "Twelve Gates to the City," and "Samson and Delilah"), he doesn't exclude secular material altogether. Eleven of the CD's 13 tracks originally appeared on Davis' old At Newport LP of 1967, although collectors will be glad to know that "Get Along Cindy" (a humorous vocal duet with Barry Kornfeld) and the instrumental "Soldiers Drill" are previously unreleased bonus tracks. Live at Newport is a highly soulful and rewarding document of Davis' late period. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Samson and Delilah	Traditional	Rev. Gary Davis	(3:36)
I Won't Be Back No More	Rev. Gary Davis, Public Domain	Rev. Gary Davis	(3:42)
Buck Dance	Rev. Gary Davis, Traditional	Rev. Gary Davis	(1:27)
Twelve Sticks (the Dozens)	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(3:14)
Death Don't Have No Mercy	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(4:06)
You Got to Move	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(5:50)
Lovin' Spoonful	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(4:34)
She Wouldn't Say Quit	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(5:46)
I've Done All My Singing for My Lord	Rev. Gary Davis	Rev. Gary Davis	(3:37)
Twelve Gates to the City	Rev. Gary Davis, Traditional	Rev. Gary Davis	(4:34)
I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land Somewhere	Rev. Gary Davis, Traditional	Rev. Gary Davis	(5:25)
Soldier's Drill		Rev. Gary Davis	(6:37)
Get Along Cindy		Rev. Gary Davis	(3:39)

Credits

Rev. Gary Davis (Guitar), Rev. Gary Davis (Harmonica), Rev. Gary Davis (Main Performer), Rev. Gary Davis (Guitar (12 String Acoustic)), Captain Jeff Zaraya (Digital Engineer), Tom Vickers (Compilation), Georgette Cartwright (Creative Services Coordinator), Barry Kornfeld (Guitar), Ray Flerlage (Photography), Drew Cartwright (Package Design), John Milward (Liner Notes)