Garlon Davis

I really can’t get enough of those West Coast soul/blues singers who made such wonderful music from the late 50s through to the early 70s. But this whole flourishing scene needs a chronicler and I’m hoping that somebody much better qualified than I am will provide a comprehensive overview of this unique genre.

In the meantime I’ll plough on recommending the occasional artist or two like Garlon Davis, a guy who made a small number of class singles which seem to have been completely forgotten. The pleading “I’m Begging You” shows Davis’ vocals to fine effect, flexibly gliding around the melody and featuring the odd falsetto excursion. “A True Confession” is perhaps his most soulful performance, a gentle, softly sung vocal egged on by a female chorus. This is a splendid blues ballad beautifully arranged by Zeke Strong whose band played behind so many of the best discs of this type – his very big horn section is always a treat to hear.

Davis may well have made other records which will turn up one day.

 

Back to artist index