On her previous Shanachie release, ‘Round Every Corner, Debbie Davies focused more on her singer-songwriter side by mixing in pop and R&B influenced originals and covers along with her usual potent dose of the blues. Feeling the need to get back to her “playing” roots, the highly respected guitarist (a former sideman to Texas blues guitar legend Albert Collins) hooked up with bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton (former rhythm section for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble) on the powerful and aptly named Tales From the Austin Motel.
Debbie’s stinging guitar licks cut through with gutsy authority on this spunky collection of shuffles and roadhouse rockers recorded at The Hit Shack in Austin. The story of her life-a woman having to prove herself in a man’s world-is spelled out in bold terms on her celebratory blues “I’m a Woman.” To further prove her point, she cranks aggressively on the houserockin’ instrumental “Percolatin’,” tipping her hat to SRV along the way.
“I have really enjoyed, with my two previous albums, exploring the edges of the blues through ballads or country blues and R&B sort of things,” says Davies. “That’s all part of me, it’s all influences that have helped me grow as an artist and I love it. But what is at the core of what I love and do is blues guitar playing. And most of my influences were the Texas blues guitar players. Same goes, of course, for the Double Trouble guys.”
Collaborating with Shannon and Layton, she explains, was a kind of homecoming for her. “We have really similar roots and experiences. I used to run into them when I was on the road with Albert and they were playing with Stevie Ray. Those kind of connections were so meaningful to me when I was cutting my teeth on the road in the early years. And I just felt like that this album would be a really great way to reconnect with those guys.”
Together they kicked out Davies’ hardest-hitting, most blues-drenched project to date.
