Damon Fowler

JULY2009

Dmitriy Klevenskiy

Barbara Van

Mike Orta

Darrell Raines

Davis & Dow

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WINNING SPINSELLA FITZGERALD AND JOE PASSmay be gone, but they set the bar highregarding vocal-and-guitar duos throughtheir collaborations in the 1970s and 1980s.Successors, like the husband-and-wife duoTuck & Patti, have aspired to those heightsinternationally since then, and Davie-basedduo Davis and Dow have formed the SouthFlorida version since the mid-1990s.

The married tandem of vocalist Julie Davisand guitarist Kelly Dow is becoming increas-ingly less local, though, as demand for theirperformances increases throughout theNortheastern and Southern United States.On June 21, the two performed in front of7,000 people for “Music Under the Stars” atthe Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso,Texas, and also conducted a jazz workshopfor underserved children in the community.

The reason for the couple’s increased noto-riety is its latest self-produced CD, Loverly,which leads off with the Lerner and Loeweshowtune from which it cribs its name. Mostof the disc features a full band playing stan-dards alongside the pair, but the lone original,“Dancing in the Sand,” is an early highlight.Also featuring bassist Don Coffman anddrummer Tony Morello, the song’s bossanova feel is a showcase for Dow’s timing andtechnique, touch and tone.

Two standout live tracks employ the rhythmsection of bassist Paul Shewchuck, drummerLenny Steinberg and rhythm guitarist PatHackett. The Beatles’ “Honey Pie” allowsGypsy-jazz lover Dow, freed up by havingchords played behind him, to display a DjangoReinhardt influence as he coaxes tongue-in-cheek witticisms out of Davis. On the JuanTizol-penned Duke Ellington hit “Caravan,”the guitarist plays a jaw-dropping intro tothe band’s Gypsy-meets-bossa ministrationsand Davis’ Ella-approved scat-singing.

Davis also channels the attitude of BillieHoliday on a Gypsy/bolero arrangement of“You’re My Thrill,” with its stunning solo byviolinist Federico Britos. Saxophonist DaveHubbard guests on “Azure,” which sports a sim-ilar feel, but Morello’s mallet work on the drumshelps approximate the version Fitzgeraldperformed with Ellington’s orchestra.

Britos also leads off the closing take on PatBallard’s “Mr. Sandman” with the melody to“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Then, theviolinist, Davis, Dow, Hackett and Coffman

swing the sans-drums piece into the rare airof Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s HotClub of France band. The versatile, Grammy-winning Britos also shades an otherwise-duoperformance of another Fitzgerald gem, theIrving Berlin ballad “Reaching for the Moon.”

The CD features only two actual duotracks, but neither sounds empty in compar-ison to their full-band counterparts. Onanother Berlin standard, “Stairway to theStars,” Davis displays expert phrasingaccompanied solely by the seven-stringedartistry of Dow, whose Eastman instrumentsounds like a second voice. The other duopiece, “Dedicated to You,” pays tribute to thedefinitive version Johnny Hartman recordedwith John Coltrane. Davis’ pleading vocal andDow’s inspired chords form the couple’s odeto one another, though they avoid soundingcontrived in the process.

With a full band behind them, Davis andDow are practically orchestral. Even in theirfrequent duo performances, the couple is alwaysmore than the sum of its parts. Dow displays

By Bill Meredith

DAVIS & DOW

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great dexterity and impeccable intonation,blending melodies with rhythmic bass lines.And the ever-sassy Davis, whether she’storching a ballad or scatting a rapid-fire phrase,demands audience attention because of whatmight be missed otherwise. That wit and magicis undeniably evident throughout Loverly.

As jazz critic Will Friedwald writes in theliner notes, “Davis and Dow knew what NatKing Cole, Fats Waller and Louis Armstrongknew — that a sense of humor is closelyrelated to a sense of rhythm.”

Davis and Dow will perform from9PM to 1AM on July 3 and 24 at Blue JeanBlues in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-306-6330 or visit Bluejeanblues.net. Theywill also perform from 11:30AM to 3PMon July 12 and 26 for Sunday brunch atthe Setai Hotel in Miami Beach. Call305-520-6000 or visit Setai.com.

WINNING SPINS

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DARRELL RAINESBOURBON STEAK RESTAURANT/AVENTURAWEDNESDAYSDarrell Raines learned the blues on the mean streetsof his native Miami. That education turned towardthe guitar when an uncle brought a 1969 Gibson SGby the house. Raines would eventually major inmusic while studying guitar and piano at MiamiDade College. The lessons he picked up on the streetand in the classroom are more than evident in hisnearly all-original 2008 CD Moanin’ Time inArkansas on the South Florida-based Bluzpikimprint. Highlights like “Love Doctor” and “DrugHole” also tip a hand to the influence of Floridablues icon Joey Gilmore. The fellow singing guitarist

employed Raines asa lead guitarist andkeyboardist from2003 to 2006, theyear Gilmore’s bandwon the prestigiousInternational BluesChallenge. Fueledby that success,Raines started hissolo career shortlythereafter. BM

S P O T L I G H TDAMON FOWLERRINGSIDE CAFE (ST. PETE)/JULY 3J.C. CRAVERS (PALM HARBOR)/JULY 4PLAZA THEATRE (ORLANDO)/JULY 11The leadoff track to Sugar Shack, Damon Fowler’sdebut CD for the Blind Pig label, is titled “Some Fun,”and that’s exactly what the Brandon, Florida, singerand guitarist proceeds to unleash over the course of adozen largely original tunes. Fowler revels in hisFlorida cracker roots, as he celebrates the joys of acasual trailer-park hookup and raises a cold one tojukin’ at the VFW, all sung in a highly engaging croonthat doesn’t attempt to hide its rural flavor with con-trived bluesman clichés. Fowler has been steeping inblues tradition since first strapping on a guitar at age

12, which is particu-larly obvious in hisfiery and emotiveslide work. He alsoputs his own blues-rockin’ stamp on acouple of countryclassics, as he ignitesa fresh spark beneathMerle Haggard’s“Tonight the BottleLet Me Down” andBilly Joe Shaver’s“I’m Just an OldChunk of Coal.” BW

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Log on to www.bostonsonthebeach.comfor our complete lineup, menus, photos and more!Located on the waterfront in Delray Beach, Boston’s is the ideal place

for casual dining, live music and sports viewing in our first-floor restaurant, The Beach. Or enjoy great cuisine and cocktails

upstairs at our fine dining restaurant, The UpperDeck. And be sure to check out our Back Bay Tiki Bar for a tropical cocktail

while listening to some of the area’s finest musicians on our outdoor stage. Boston’s… something for everyone!

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DMITRIY KLEVENSKIYVAN DYKE CAFE (MIAMI BEACH)/JULY 9Russian jazz pianist Dmitriy Klevenskiy created quitea buzz when he first visited South Florida in 2005, sitting in and turning heads with his performances atMiami venues such as Chuchill’s and Gil’s Café. A2006 return only enhanced his reputation as a dynamic,straightahead player, as did the superb two-volumerecording Tipsy Woman. Comprising all-original compositions, Tipsy Woman was recorded at Miami’sHit Factory/Criteria studios and features a dreamensemble of trumpeter Jason Carder, bassist DonCoffman and drummer Andrew Atkinson. FormerJames Brown saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and percus-sion giant Sammy Figueroa lend their signature

talents to the stand-out tracks “RainBlues” and “MorningHaze,” as well.Displaying a sophis-ticated hardbop sensibility in hiswriting and playing,Klevenskiy is morenuanced than flashy— Cedar Waltoncomes to mind —and his inventivecomping as well ashis brilliant soloingmark him as an orig-inal voice. BW

S P O T L I G H TBARBARA VAN AND MIKE ORTA JAZZ JAMBLUE JEAN BLUES/FORT LAUDERDALESUNDAYSBarbara Van’s tone and phrasing show a deep under-standing of and affection for the classic jazz canon andits great interpreters. For her 2007 recording, My Story,the South Florida-based singer puts her wonderfullyemotive, often bluesy vocals to a quite personal setthat spans jazz evergreens such as “My Ship” and“Fever” as well as pop standards such as “Ode to BillyJoe” and “A Song for You.” (Her version of “I Can’t StopLoving You” provides a preview of another project, adedication to the music of Ray Charles.) Throughout,Van receives sensitive support from pianist Mike Ortaand his bass-playing brother, Nicky Orta, as well asSouth Florida drum stalwart Danny Burger. Vanteams up again with pianist Orta, one of this area’sgreat accompanists, to lead a Sunday afternoon jazzjam at Blue Jean Blues each week from 3 to 7PM. BW