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I'm Not Gonna Let My Blue Gring Me Down- Brad Davis

Having spent the last fifteen years performing on stage as a member of Marty Stuart's road band, playing lead acoustic guitar with Earl Scruggs and Friends, and playing lead electric and acoustic guitar with Billy Bob Thornton's rock band, Brad Davis now brings his acoustic guitar and songwriting talent to the forefront with the release of his new solo recording I'm Not Gonna Let My Blues Bring Me Down. While presenting Brad's unique blend of acoustic blues, rock, country and bluegrass and highlighting his vocal, songwriting, acoustic guitar, mandolin and bass talents, the album's real excitement resides in the interaction between Brad and some of the world's most talented musicians from the bluegrass, newgrass, country and rock genres. Brad's concept on this recording was to write and record the music that he loves with the musical friends and heroes who he knew could help him get the most out of each song.

On the rockin', bluesy, title cut, "I'm Not Gonna Let My Blues Get Me Down," Jon Randall Stewart (of the Sam Bush Band and Emmy Lou Harris's Nash Ramblers) sings harmony vocals and swaps guitar solos with Brad. On cut two, "Old Number Nine," Brad displays his talent for writing, singing and playing bluegrass music while bluegrass and newgrass legend Sam Bush masterfully adds his signature mandolin rhythm chop and clean, fluid mandolin solos. On cut three Brad displays his own mandolin talent on the funky, poetic "Dawg Diddy" and is backed up by David Grier (three-time International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year and voted one of Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Guitar Players of the Decade). On cut four Brad moves back to the bluegrass genre and teams with his brother Greg Davis (turbo-charged banjo talent) to show just how fast two bluegrassers can pick on the frighteningly fast "Big Timber."

On cut five we hear film star Billy Bob Thornton sing lead on Brad's haunting "Tell Me Son." Brad and rock star Tommy Shaw (of Styx and Damn Yankees) provide the harmony vocals. "Cypress Walls"--a tune Brad co-wrote with Nashville tunesmith Tommy Polk--follows, with Brad singing and playing guitar while bluegrass Dobro master Rob Ickes provides accompaniment. On cut seven blues vocalist Kelly Knolf helps Brad sing a blues-inspired version of the bluegrass classic "Rank Stranger." On cut eight, Brad flies solo, singing and playing guitar, mandolin and bass on his ballad "Black Snake." For cut nine, "Where You Belong" (a song that could easily become a country classic), Brad is joined on mandolin and vocals by super session picker John Jorgenson (of Elton John, the Desert Rose Band and Hellecasters).

On "California," the CD's tenth cut and its only instrumental, Brad highlights his famous double-down-up guitar technique. Guitar players are going to wonder, "how does he do that!?" And cut eleven, the folky "I Love My Guitar," emphasizes Brad's special relationship with the instrument. These are both tunes that all guitar players will appreciate and admire. Brad also goes solo on "The Site of Truth," cut twelve, singing and playing the guitar, mandolin and bass. On cut thirteen Brad sings the waltz-time lament "Journey Through Misery" and is backed-up by bluegrass fiddle great Glen Duncan. On the CD's final cut-which Brad co-wrote with Gary Scruggs-Brad is joined by bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs.

This recording takes the listener on a musical journey through the rock, blues, bluegrass, newgrass and country music genres as interpreted by Brad Davis and a cast of special guests who have helped to define those genres. Fans of Marty Stuart and Earl Scruggs have long known about Brad Davis's talent as an instrumentalist. Here they will find that he is an equally talented songwriter and singer.

Track List
1. I'm Not Gonna Let My Blue Bring Me Down
2. Old Number Nine
3. Dawg Diddy
4. Big Timber
5. Tell me Son
6. Cypress Walls
7. Rank Stranger
8. Black Snake
9. Where You Belong
10. California
11. I Love My Guitar
12. Sight Of Truth
13. Journy Through Misery
14. The Clock Strikes Twice

This World Ain't No Child- Brad Davis- NEW!!

Guest artist who appear on this recording include: movie star Billy Bob Thorton, Sam Bush (New Grass revival, Nash Ramblers, The Sam Bush Band), Rob Ickes (Blue Highway), Greg Davis (Ramona Jones), rock star Tommy Shaw (Styx, Damn Yankees), John Jorgenson (Elton John, Desert Rose Band, Hellecasters), banjo legend Bela Fleck, John Cowan, and more.

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Quotes and Reviews

Track List:
1. All I Need To Know
2. Ain't That Just Like Love
3. Love You Don't Know
4. I'm Not Through Loving You
5. Shadows
6. This World Ain't No Child
7. LaCrosse
8. You and I
9. Feet of Clay
10. True Love
11. Holy River
12. Falling

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Quotes and Reviews

Flatpicking Favorites: Hot & Spicy - Various Artist

When Dan Miller (of FGM Records and Flatpicking Guitar Magazine) responds to reader and customer requests, he does it in a big way! On its face, this CD features 16 guitar duets of flatpicking "standards" -- but these tunes are now anything but standard. Dan gathered as many flatpicking luminaries as he could and asked them to play "hot and fast." And the pickers responded. Tired of playing these tunes the same old way, they added a spicy twist to each duet, adding new approaches, new licks, and new phrasings.

Featured on this project are: David Grier, Bryan Sutton, Jim Hurst, Brad Davis, Cody Kilby, Tim May, Scott Nygaard, Jim Nunally, Gary Cook, Mike Maddux, Mark Cosgrove, Kenny Smith, Robin Kessinger, Steve Kaufman, Roy Curry, Scott Fore, Andy Falco, Bull Harman, Cecil Tinnon, Chris Eldridge, Tim Stafford, Wyatt Rice, and Larry Keel. (For those counting, that's seven Winfield winners and four IBMA Guitar Players of the Year!)

Tracks:

1. Wheel Hoss (Davis & Sutton)
2. Farewell Blues (Grier & Hurst)
3. Cherokee Shuffle (Smith & Fore)
4. Lonesome Fiddle Blues (May & Kilby)
5. Gold Rush (Kilby & Davis)
6. Lonesome Reuben (Rice & Keel)
7. Big Sandy River (Kaufman & Curry)
8. Bill Cheathum (Eldridge & Falco)
9. Arkansas Traveler (Harman & Tinnon)
10. Leather Britches (Kessinger & Cosgrove)
11. Salt Creek (Nunally & Nygaard)
12. Forked Deer (Hurst & Stafford)
13. Panhandle Rag (Maddux & Cook)
14. Flop-Eared Mule (Kessinger & Smith)
15. Cattle in the Cane (Cosgrove & Fore)
16. Back Up and Push (Sutton & Grier)

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Songs For Sophie: A Collings Collective- Various Artist- NEW!!

A special recording project whereby some of the most talented musicians in acoustic music have volunteered their time and talent to help a very special girl, Sophie McCreary, and her family. Sophie is currently ten years old and has early onset bipolar disorder.

[For more information about Sophie, please visit: http://www.anm.com/sophie/.] Sophie’s dad, Steve McCreary, is the general manager of Collings Guitars, Inc. of Austin, Texas.

All of the musicians who have contributed to this project own and play Collings instruments and used those instruments—guitars and mandolins—on this recording. Each musician eagerly contributed to this project (without pay), not only because it was to benefit a good cause, but because of the love they have for their Collings instruments and the company that makes them. Collings guitars and mandolins are regarded as some of the highest quality instruments being built today. But a high quality product is not the only thing that keeps these artists loyal to Collings. Loyalty is built upon personal relationships and a big part of that loyalty to Collings is due to the relationship these artists have with Steve McCreary. Steve is one of the friendliest, easy to get along with, and professional individuals in the music industry and thus has earned the respect and high regard of everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him. When I contacted each of these fine musicians and asked if they would contribute to this project they did so without hesitation. “I’ll do anything to help Steve,” was the typical response.

When you gather together some of the world’s best musicians, playing some of the world’s finest acoustic instruments, and ask them to play from their heart to help a man who they all respect greatly, and the daughter who he dearly loves, the result is nothing short of musical magic. I hope you will enjoy listening to this recording as much as we enjoyed making it. All proceeds from this recording go directly to help offset the high costs of Sophie’s care. I thank you for helping that effort by purchasing this CD. If you feel inspired to lend more help to Sophie, please visit the above mentioned website and navigate to the “What To Do” page.

Dan Miller
Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, FGM Records

Tracks:

1. Sophie - Brad Davis 3:45
Written by Brad Davis, BDM Publishing, BMI
Brad Davis plays a Collings Clarence White model guitar
Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, Vocals - Brad Davis

2. Burdock Root - Matthew Arcara 4:06
Written by Matthew Arcara, MGA Music
Matthew Arcara plays a Collings D1A
Guitar - Matthew Arcara, Mandolin - Jacob Jolliff, Cello - Tristan Clarridge
Violin - Tashina Clarridge Recorded by Dale Adkins at Adams Ridge Studio

3. Guardian Angels - Keith Sewell 3:09
Written by Keith Sewell, Keith Sewell Music, BMI
Keith Sewell plays a Mahogany Collings Winfield guitar
Guitar - Keith Sewell

4. In His Eyes - Kenny & Amanda Smith 3:30
Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott, Birdwing Music, ASCAP
Kenny Smith plays a Collings D1A Vintage guitar
Guitar and Harmony Vocal - Kenny Smith, Lead Vocal - Amanda Smith

5. Good Medicine - Mark Cosgrove 6:10
Written by Mark Cosgrove, Noisy Neighbors Music, BMI
Mark Cosgrove plays a Collings D2H Winfield guitar
Guitar - Mark Cosgrove, Bass - Byron House, Drums - Kenny Malone, Fiddle - Stuart Duncan, Mandolin - Sam Bush, Banjo - Bela Fleck

6. Missing You - Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson 3:58
Written by Chris Hillman, Tom Russell, & Richard Sellars, Bar None Music Inc., BMI
Chris Hillman plays a Collings MF-5 mandolin: Herb Pederson plays a Collings C-J Sunburst guitar
Mandolin and Lead Vocal - Chris Hillman, Guitar and Harmony Vocal - Herb Pederson, Dobro - Sally Van Meter, Fiddle - Gabe Witcher, Guitar - Larry Park, Bass - Bill Bryson

7. The Geese in the Bog - Tim O’Brien 4:24
Traditional, arranged by Tim O’Brien
Tim O’Brien plays a 12-fret Collings DS2H A guitar and a Collings/Nugget collaboration Tim O’Brien model mandolin
Guitar and Mandolin - Tim O’Brien
Engineered by Gary Paczosa and Brandon Bell at Minutiae Sound; Tim O’Brien appears courtesy of Sugar Hill Records

8. You’ve Got So Much Love - Jim Lauderdale 3:01
Written by Jim Lauderdale, SESAC
Jim Lauderdale plays a Collings D2H Sunburst guitar
Guitar and Vocal - Jim Lauderdale

9. Late At Night - Dan Miller & Brad Davis 4:27
Written by Dan Miller and Brad Davis, BDM Publishing, BMI
Dan Miller plays a Collings Clarence White model guitar
Brad Davis plays a Collings Clarence White model guitar with his patented “Brad Bender” B-string bending device
Guitar - Dan Miller; Guitar, Mandolin, and Bass - Brad Davis

10. Whispering Hope - Rich Brotherton 3:52
Traditional, arranged by Rich Brotherton
Rich Brotherton plays a Short Scale, Brazilian/Adirondack Collings OM3 guitar
Guitar and Vocal - Rich Brotherton

11. Old Bud - Cody Kilby 3:12
Written by Cody Kilby
Cody Kilby plays a Brazilian, Adirondack Collings D2H guitar
Guitar - Cody Kilby

12. Tous Les Deux - David Doucet & Scott Fore 3:05
Written by David Doucet
David Doucet plays a Brazilian, Adirondack Collings OM2H guitar: Scott Fore plays a Collings Winfield guitar
Guitar and Vocal - David Doucet, Guitar - Scott Fore, Bass and Vocal - Al Tharp

13. McCreary’s March - Steve Kaufman 3:02
Written by Steve Kaufman, Steve Kaufman Enterprises, Inc. www.flatpik.com
Steve Kaufman plays a Collings OM42 guitar
Guitar - Steve Kaufman

14. Complementary Pillow - James Nash 4:10
Written by James Nash, Nashvillian Music, ASCAP
James Nash plays a Collings D2H A guitar and an MT1 mandolin
Guitar, Mandolin, and Vocals - James Nash

15. Around the House - Chris Newman 2:53
Written by Chris Newman, MCPS/PRS, 2005
Chris Newman plays a Collings OM1E
Guitar - Chris Newman

BRAD DAVIS

Brad Davis is known nationally as one of the most versitile sidemen in country, bluegrass, newgrass, and country-rock music. Spending eleven years in Marty Stuart's road band, was a member of banjo legend Earl Scruggs' bluegrass band, spent two years with newgrass innovator Sam Bush, and has been the lead guitar player in movie actor Billy Bob Thorton's rock band for the past four years. He has also spent time on the road with Sweetharts of the Roadeo and the Forrester Sisters.

A prolific songwriter Brad Davis has had over fourty-five of his songs recorded by various country and bluegrass artists including country star Tim McGraw ("Ain't No Angels"). He has played on Marty Stuart's gold selling album This Ones Gonna Hurt You, the Marty Stuart Hit Pack, and Marty's last MCA recording The Pilgrim.

Brad played on the soundtrack of Steven Seagal's Fire Down Below. He has also performed music for Billy Bob Thorton's Miramax releases Daddy And Them and Waking Up In Reno. Davis has also recorded with Sheryl Crow, and others, on the Johnny Cash tribute album Kindred Spirits and performed on Warren Zevon's last recording The Wind. He recorded two album projects featuring Billy Bob Thorton on Mercury and has toured both Europe and the United States as the lead guitar playerfor Billy Bob Thorton's Band. Additionally, Brad has recorded with Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, and Pam Tillis.

In his new solo release Brad Davis brings his acoustic guitar and songwriting talent to the forefront. This album not only presents Brad's unique blend of acoustic blues, rock, country, and bluegrass and highlights his vocal, songwriting, acoustic guitar, madolin, and bass talents, its real excitement is the interaction between Brad and some of the world's most talented musicians from the blueegrass, newgrass, country, and rock genres. Brad's concept on this recording was to write and record the music that he loves with the musical friends and heros who he knew could help him get the most out of each song.

Brad's Official Website