Davy/Davey Graham 1940-2008

All That Moody presents a comprehensive cross-section, and most probably conceived as such - a sort of Davy Graham retrospective. It was recorded in 1976, roughly a decade after the early classics from Topic and Decca and, while not quiet a lost masterpiece retrieved from oblivion like "After Hours", it is certainly a rarity in the Davy cannon. At the time Davy had moved out of town and was based down on the Kent coast. The project was instigated be a small independent company - Eron Enterprises - who presented their catalogue as "limited editions soon became collectors items", which was true enough with this release -ERON 007 - and again credit must go out to Rollercoaster for searching out the tapes and bringing them back into circulation.
The program is a kind of musical stepping-stone, going back to the early days, including a reworking of "Anji" - a nice example of contrapuntal blues playing a la "Blues for Betty" from the guitar player album re-titled "Blues For Gino" - a nod to Brownie and Sticks McGee possibly, or maybe Jimmy Yancey with a little Snooks Eaglin thrown in. A jazzy-blues "No Preacher" in the style of "Folk Blues And Beyond" material. A look back at the old street busking days with "Fingerbuster" - a raggy up-tempo bit of picking - a tip of the hat to Jessie Fuller, I would think. A classic Davy guitarististic tour-de-force, venturing into more a more progressive harmonic landscape on "Tristano", in homage to Lennie Tristano. And a move into modal explorations in the Eastern formats of "Blue Raga" and "Sunshine Raga", as well as a self-penned flamenco piece, "La Morana" - "The Dark One" - which, as far as I know, is a departure from previously recorded material.

It's good to know that Davy's back catalogue is finally being researched and systematically re-issued. It's certainly about time. Years of trying to describe the wonders of his playing to other musicians, and attempting to recreate a little in my own, are beginning to wear me down. The old recordings are, as Lightnin' Hopkins sang, "As welcome as the flowers in Mar".

All That Moody

(1976)

CD 11.99

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1. Anji (Graham) - 1:26
Roger suggested we do this with bass. We hope you like it.
2. La Morena (Graham) - 4:42
From fragments, some learned from Felicity's American, Chris, who was in Edinburgh in '62. The rest from Spain - at the time it reminded me of Wyn, my mother, who was black-haired and dark skinned like Dusky, her sister.
3. Travelling Man (Graham) - 1:57
My attempt to write a 'pop song'! (Never tried again)
4. Sunshine Raga (Graham) - 3:46
Inspired by a jugalbandi of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In the Bhilawal mode (I think)
5. A Smoother One (Goodman) - 2:12
One of our Qabhlah group said it reminded him of the words "Eli poked us in the middle" ("Fred" was always doing that with jazz tunes)
6. Kim (Graham) - 2:24
My attempt at a piece in 7/4 with 4/4 middle. My justification is that I had not then heard enough bouzouki. Also for my daughter who was named after having seem the film with Dean Stockwell from Kipling's work. Had she been a boy we'd not have changed her name.
7. Jenra (Graham) - 2:04
After my first visit to Morocco I wanted a piece in a triple rhythm, which is so common there among Berber musicians.
8. No Preacher (Graham) - 2:37
A little irreverence (from a young man).
9. To Find The Sun (Graham) - 2:23
I was looking for a tune to one of Shakespear's sonnets (with little musical experience) one cold winter on the Grove. Now we all have Carnival in July.
10. Tristano (Graham) - 3:38
After the late great Lennie Tristano. Probably today, Keith Jarrett is what I would mean about a tremendous horizon at the piano. Fortunately Roger Bunn is rather good on jazz guitar chords - "Roger, how do your hands do that?"
11. Blues For Geno (Graham) - 3:05
(Was miss-titled Blues At Genos on the original Eron album) The later Geno Foreman was as good on blues piano as he was at blues guitar. As you can tell, I love "Snooks" Eaglin, too.
12. Fingerbuster (Graham) - 1:53
Learned from Geno, with some of me. Davis used to play it; it closely resembles "Little Rock Getaway" and Ivor Mairants's "Spirit of New Orleans" Ivor's book. "My Fretting Years" is a good read.
13. Blue Raga (Graham) - 4:38
The great Afghan musician Essa Kassimi, with Qadir Darwesh on tabla, have a fine version of this, Bairami mode.

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