October 27, 2021 – davidbruceblog #2

Ben Davis Jr.: Acoustic Lunch at Ohio University’s Baker Center, Second Floor — 27 October 2021

Singer-songwriters Corbin Marsh (left), Ben Davis Jr., and Bruce Dalzell (Right)

https://www.facebook.com/bendavisjrofficial/

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ben+davis+jr&i=digital-music&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Ben Davis Jr. Turns Inward On ‘Roots’
By: Emily Votaw
Posted on:Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Ben Davis Jr. Turns Inward On ‘Roots’

Ben Davis Jr. on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-xP-pjBWvgYxWLW5HPxLQ

Ben Davis Jr. on Bandcamp

https://bendavisjr.bandcamp.com/releases

Ben Davis Jr. Official Site (Includes Calendar of Upcoming Performances)

https://bendavisjr.net

From the moment a 14-year-old Ben Davis Jr. picked up his first guitar (a Yamaha Strat gifted by his father, for the record) he set out on a journey that would see him evolve into one of the great musical storytellers yet to emerge from his native Southeast Ohio. Ben’s honest, sharply observed, and soulful lyrics and organic yet adventurous instrumentation make for a deeply felt blend of country, folk, and rock—(in all its shapes and forms). The people, places, and memories of his home inform the heart of his forthcoming for Supersensible Records EP, Roots,.

After playing in string of local combos, Ben began immersing himself in songwriting as a member of his high school band, In The Red (formed with lifelong friend Josh Cassill). Over the years, he has played with an impressive array of regional musicians, slowly building his now impressive song catalog. His biggest songwriting inspirations come from the work of David Childers, Todd Snider, and The Avett Brothers, whose music he discovered in 2007. A high point of Ben’s career came a few years later, when he shared billing with The Avetts (along with another influence, Jason Isbell) at the 2014 Nelsonville Music Festival.

Ben’s reputation also has been burnished by both hosting and performing the Open Stage at Court Grill in Pomeroy, Ohio for several years. The friends, connections, and memories he has forged there resulted in his first two self-releases: The Day Before Payday (with the Dirt Poor Troubadours) and his first solo EP, Leaving Cincinnati.

Fast-forward to 2019, when Ben released his second full length album, Suthernahia (premiered at a live performance at the classic Markay Theater in his hometown of Jackson. Produced by Eddie Ashworth at The Oxide Shed in Athens, OH, this record breaks new ground in Ben’s music—incorporating elements of psychedelia, r&b, even 60’s era pop, to suit the diverse mood of the songs. Backed by his legendary supporting band, The Revelry, the album brought Ben to a wider audience and earned rave reviews from many media outlets.

Next on the menu is the forthcoming Roots EP. Ben has long wanted to put together a pared down, more intimate recording that puts more emphasis on his stunning song craftsmanship and voice (something that his fans have also often requested). Accordingly, the sonics and subject matter are sparse, down to basic acoustic folk instrumentation. Joined by Revelry alums Ben Ervin on guitar and Ashworth on mandolin, along with celebrated Athens-based singer songwriter Bruce Dalzell on bass and backing vocals, and longtime collaborator Chris Keesey on percussion, the EP was recorded mostly live in the studio, with minimal overdubbing, during the pandemic.

First out of the gates is a video of the title track “Roots” , in which Ben performs the song with many of the actual locations mentioned in the song as backdrops. Releasing in mid-July on all platforms, the single and video will precede the EP release, scheduled for late summer 2021. Ben will be supporting both releases with a robust, all acoustic live schedule (sometimes solo, sometimes joined by members of the recording band) throughout the summer and fall 2021.

“Simple As I Look”

“The Space You Left Behind”

HAMMER AND SPARK

WHEEL SPINNING ’ROUND

THE CORBIN MARSH BAND EP

Scott Minor Original Music

https://www.scottminar.com/music

65 years so far — Annette Rochelle Aben

At times we take stock
In all our life has shown us
And what we have learned
How awesome to realize
That we have made it this far
©2021 Annette Rochelle Aben
65 years so far — Annette Rochelle Aben

Brief — The Cheesesellers Wife

Something is dead in the hedgerowthere is a sharp sweet pungent smellso much bigger than the tiny corpse that birthed ita little dormouse whose soft noseonce twitched in sleepis now laid out, opened outa feast for the myriad creatures of decay Copyright © 2021 Kim Whysall-Hammond
Brief — The Cheesesellers Wife

Something is dead in the hedgerow
there is a sharp sweet pungent smell
so much bigger than the tiny corpse that birthed it
a little dormouse whose soft nose
once twitched in sleep
is now laid out, opened out
a feast for the myriad creatures of decay

David Bruce: The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Husbands and Wives, Language

Husbands and Wives

• In the 1970s, James Garner and Mariette Hartley made a series of TV commercials for Polaroid in which they appeared to be a feisty, but happily married, couple. The actors were so good that many viewers thought they were actually married. Ms. Hartley even started wearing a T-shirt that said, “I am not Mrs. James Garner.” Meanwhile, the real Mrs. James Garner started wearing a T-shirt that said, “I am Mrs. James Garner.”

• Bea Wain and Andre Baruch were the husband-and-wife stars of a radio show. Mr. Wain once said on the air, “The hen that laid double-yolk eggs will be exhibited at the New York State Fair. However, due to the excessive heat, the hen hasn’t laid since last Monday.” His wife added, “That could happen to any of us.”

• After Trigger, the horse of TV and movie star Roy Rogers, died, Mr. Rogers had him stuffed. His wife, Dale Evans, told him, “Roy, don’t you go getting any ideas about me.”

Language

• While living in Italy, actress Eve Arden rented a villa from a Marchese. While living in the villa, she kept track of all the drinking glasses her family had broken so that she could pay for them at the end of her lease. However, because of her poor Italian, the Marchese got a shock because he thought that the glass she was reporting on was window glass (“vietro”) instead of drinking glasses (“bicchieri”). “My God,” he said (in Italian) after hearing her report on the telephone, “there can’t be a windowpane left in the place!”

• In the TV series Hogan’s Heroes, extras frequently had to speak a little German because the series was set in a World War II prisoner-of-war camp (not in a concentration camp). Chris Anders once played a German guard who had to tell some trucks to take off, so he said, “Fahrt Los.” However, because the German word “fahrt” sounds like the English word “fart,” the director stopped the scene, saying, “We can’t use that!”

• Robin Williams’ humor could be crude. Before a Comic Relief show, members of the production staff created a pool in which they guessed how long it would take for Mr. Williams to make a penis joke in the show, which started at 6 p.m. The winner guessed 6:07 p.m. (Mr. Williams might have made the joke even sooner, but the opening number of Comic Relief took five minutes.)

• After Honor Blackman, who played Cathy Gale, left the 1960s tongue-in-cheek TV spy series The Avengers, her partner in the series, John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee, said in an episode, “I’ve no doubt that she is pussy-footing around on some island.” (Ms. Blackman left The Avengers to play the character Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie Goldfinger.)

• In the early days of radio, Jan Savitt was the leader of a house orchestra. One day, he decided to fire George, his Polish secretary, who was in charge of all the orchestra’s files and records. Very quickly, however, Mr. Savitt had to rehire George. George had kept all of the orchestra’s files and records in Polish.

• The star of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, collects first editions of children’s books, including Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. She is especially fond of the author Dr. Seuss because in his book There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, he wrote the line “There’s a Gellar in the cellar.”

• Jeff Stone, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, once played for a while in Latin America, and when he returned to the United States, he left his TV behind. Why? He explained, “All the programs were in Spanish.”

• To break the ice with her normal-hearing co-stars on the TV series Reasonable Doubts, deaf actress Marlee Matlin taught them how to say dirty words in sign language.

***

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