Blue Mother Tupelo to bring ‘swampadelic’ sound to Decatur’s Magnolia Room Saturday
DECATUR, Alabama -- The Decatur Acoustic Concert Series returns this week with Blue Mother Tupelo performing at the Magnolia Room -- 216 Moulton St. -- Saturday.
Blue Mother Tupelo, a husband-and-wife duo, will hypnotize listeners with their “soulful swampadelic sound.” They have recorded and/or shared the stage with Leon Russell, the Subdues, Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, the North Mississippi Allstars and Willie Nelson, among others. Their rendition of the Paul Anka classic "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" was also featured on the 2005 Miramax film "Daltry Calhoun."
The duo have released three CDs, including their latest compilation "Heaven and Earth" in 2009 and have performed at numerous music festivals, including the Country Music Association (CMA) Music Festival, Chicago Blues and Bluegrass Festival and live performance at New York City's Museum of Modern Art.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. There’s a $20 suggested donation and reservations are strongly urged. Call 256-686-1382 or visit themagnoliaroomdecatur.com for more information or to make reservations.
Event on 2011-10-29 14:00:00
Saturday, October 29th, 2011 BLUE MOTHER TUPELO & VARIOUS ARTISTS at 2011 Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival at The Rivoli Theatre – Fest 2:00pm, BMT @ 4:00pm 219 South Main Street Monmouth IL 61462-2159 Ph: 309.278.3898 [map] Blue Mother Tupelo is honored to join other great Blues & Roots artists performing at the 2011 Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival. Blues fans from all across the country pack the Rivoli Theatre in Monmouth, Illinois for the 2011 Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival. The festival kicks off at 2pm and goes until the stroke of midnight, the music and fellowship flow in abundance. Come be a part of this wonderful festival at the historic Rivoli Theatre! About The Rivoli Theatre The Rivoli Theatre is an old vaudeville theater that opened for business in the 1920s and still has its original stage. The theater, renovated by Paul Walker, is a small, intimate place to see a show with an exquisite sound system. The theater sits on Main Street, just off the "public square" (the roundabout in the center of town). Here's a link to a Google map to the theater: http://www.monmouthblues.com/blues-festival/directions-to-the-rivoli/
at Deep Blue Innovators Festival
at The Rivoli Theatre
Monmouth, United States
Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee near Sevierville, Ricky Davis, one half of the husband-wife duo Blue Mother Tupelo, breathed in the sweet sounds of bluegrass almost as easily as the morning mountain air.
Yet, their following is as diverse as the music they make.
"When we write songs, it's not really to or for anybody," said Ricky as the two traveled down the fabled U.S. Highway 61. "Our fan base is totally from across the spectrum. We have fans who are college age, fans in their 40s and 50s, and even some in the mid or late 60s. You never know who is going to come to a show."
Ricky and wife Micol, along with their band, are bringing their contemporary-style version of bluesy roots, folk music to Hernando for a 7 p.m. concert on the historic Hernando Square as part of festivities for the Water Tower 10K run.
Blue Mother Tupelo began performing as a duo in 1995. In the early years, Micol said she was drawn to Knoxville's thriving live music scene.
She and Ricky met while on the campus at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Ricky invited her to sing with his band, Soulchaser, a couple of times, and they found their harmony blended perfectly together.
In 1995, they began performing as Blue Mother Tupelo at local open-mike and songwriters' nights with the idea of making their own pure roots-rock sound.
They released their first CD, "My Side Of The Road" in 1997, which included ten original songs and received good reviews from local media and several national publications.
Since then, the group has received several Music City Blues Awards nominations, and the group reached No. 2 on the Euro-Americana chart and in the Top 40 of the Americana chart in the United States.
Davis said he is looking forward to the gig in Hernando.
"We play quite a bit in Mississippi," Ricky said. "We have quite a bit of family in Mississippi, around Tupelo, Pontotoc and New Albany. We love Mississippi."
… concert by Blue Mother Tupelo is scheduled from 7 to 10 p.m. on the courthouse lawn.
It's been a long musical run for Blue Mother Tupelo -- BMT to fans -- since their rise from the dusty Delta lowlands and the muddy bayous of Indianola. BMT is the married duo of Ricky and Micol Davis; they wed in 1994 and a year later, at an open mic night in Knoxville, started a Southern soul sound that's taken them from the mountains of East Tennessee to the Memphis bluffs, and from Mexico to Switzerland.
They moved to Nashville in 1998 after releasing their debut album, My Side Of The Road. ...
Les Kerr, Blue Mother Tupelo, Mark Robinson Headline Bluebird Café “Original Blues” Show
... Blue Mother Tupelo, the husband and wife team of Ricky Davis (acoustic & electric guitars, Dobro, vocals) and Micol Davis (piano, tambourine, vocals) began performing as a duo in 1995. They have become favorite performers in the Nashville area and tour nationally, as well. Unique, passionate, and inspired, Blue Mother Tupelo is pure heart and soul. It’s been said that a BMT performance is like stepping into a “Pentecostal revival” — with Ricky and Micol’s gritty, sweet, soulful harmonies, earthy sounds of gutbucket guitar and slide, gospel piano & roadhouse pounding of tambourines. ...
When: September 30, 2011 | noon
Where: WDVX - Knoxville, TN
Price: Free | Ages: All ages
It’s been more than five years since Blue Mother Tupelo—the husband-and-wife team of Micol and Ricky Davis—left Knoxville for Nashville. But it’s hard not to think of them as a Knoxville band, considering the countless nights in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s that they performed their down-and-dirty (and sometimes sweet) take on the country blues on local stages. Micol has a voice like honey, Ricky’s a deft slide guitarist, and their songwriting puts it all together.
This Saturday, July 30, in Lobelville, award-winning group Blue Mother Tupelo makes a special appearance at Perry County's ambitious weekly free Summer concert series Music on Main Street, with their unique blend of Americana, folk and country blues harmonies.
Blue Mother Tupelo (BMT) has won numerous awards and have received rave reviews from music critics all over the South, for their recorded work and their live shows. Just-added Carolina Beach Music Hall-of-Famer Clifford Curry will make a special appearance at the concert, and Music on Main Street regular Johnny Collier will open the 7:30 PM Saturday night show, with a special set, featuring upright bass, lap steel and acoustic instruments.
Blue Mother Tupelo first appeared in Perry County at the Buffalo River Music Festival in 2009, and returned twice last year; once for the Memorial Day weekend Music on Main Street kickoff concert with T. Graham Brown, and again in July at Linden, during Music on Main Street's inaugural year.
Almost a year after Ricky and Micol Davis married in 1994, they began their musical life together as Blue Mother Tupelo at an open microphone night at Sassy Ann's Cafe in Knoxville. That proved to be the beginning of something very special. After releasing their debut album, "My Side Of The Road" (now out-of-print), in 1997, they moved to Nashville in 1998.
Recording artist Mindy Smith, who had just moved from Knoxville to Nashville a few months earlier, encouraged Ricky and Micol to move to Music City, where open mics, jam sessions and songwriter rounds found the duo ready for BMT's 2001 release, "Delta Low - Mountain High". In 2005, the movie "Daltry Calhoun", featured Blue Mother Tupelo's dreamy rendition of the Paul Anka classic, "Put Your Head On My Shoulder". Their album, "Love Live ~ 5 Songs From The Road", showcases some live favorites recorded between 2001 and 2006, and highlights BMT's penchant for spontaneous musical sincerity.
"In our live show we allow ourselves to take time with a song and let the music breathe," explains Micol Davis . "Songs can morph into each other and take on a life of their own. Though we mostly play our own songs, there are artists and songs that we adore and cannot help but include in some sets."
Blue Mother Tupelo's latest CD, "Heaven & Earth", released in 2009, made waves across Americana & Roots Rock Radio stations and fans worldwide. It debuted at #2, behind Kris Kristofferson, on the EuroAmericana Charts for November of 2009, in the Top 40 on Americana radio in the USA, and continues to be in the Top 40 of Roots Music Report's "Roots Rock" Chart.
"Heaven & Earth" features 14 songs, with 12 original songs penned by Micol & Ricky Davis. The song "Without You" (from "Delta Low ~ Mountain High") is included in 2009's film, "Sugar Boxx", directed by cult film maker Cody Jarrett. Writer Robert K. Oermann, in Music Row Magazine, stated in reviewing "Heaven & Earth": "I love their rustic, earthy, gritty, groove-soaked sound. Individualistic & ear-opening. This little treasure is staying real close to my stereo for days to come."
Blue Mother Tupelo has shared shows with and/or recorded with artists such as Delbert McClinton, Leon Russell, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Tony Joe White, Miranda Lambert and many others. BMT has performed at many festivals including the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in Bristol, the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Arkansas, the Chicago Blues and Bluegrass Festival in Chicago, and the Big State Festival in College Station, Texas. Blue Mother Tupelo has performed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and done shows across the U.S.A., most often throughout the Southeast and has also toured in Mexico and Switzerland.
"If there is only one Music on Main Street concert you make it out to this year, with only six shows left for the 2011 season, it would have to be to see Blue Mother Tupelo this Saturday night. They are that good," stated Music on Main Street organizer Cristal Odom. "Put hard-working Johnny Collier and the legendary Clifford Curry in the mix, and that's quite a show."
Clifford Curry, who has been just-added to the Music on Main Street bill, is a musical treasure with over 50 years of performances under his belt, with hit records, and an induction into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame. Current Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam referred to the Knoxville native Clifford Curry as "a real Tennessee and national treasure."
The sixth annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic Friday and Saturday takes place for the first time at the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, located about halfway between Oxford and Holly Springs off Mississippi 7.
The event features many local artists who play in the distinctive hill country style of blues, with the North Mississippi Allstars headlining on Friday.
Also performing Friday, when the music runs from 5 p.m. until midnight, are Shannon McNally, Blue Mother Tupelo, Eric Deaton and Blue Mountain.
Music on Saturday runs from 10 a.m. until midnight with Jimbo Mathus, Kenny Brown, Garry Burnside, the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, T-Model Ford, David Kimbrough, DuWayne Burnside, Cedric Burnside, Rev. John Wilkins, Rocket 88, Robert Belfour, Duff Durrough and Tate Moore. ...
Ricky and Micol Davis married in 1994. One year later they birthed Blue Mother Tupelo. Since then they’ve gone from their Knoxville base to Nashville and well beyond.
On June 25 Blue Mother Tupelo’s travels land them at Latture Field in Abingdon, Va. for the Abingdon Blues Festival. Bands also on the bill include The Little Zippers and The Delta Playboys.
Knoxville native Ricky Davis and Memphis native wife Micol formed Blue Mother Tupelo in 1995. Their debut album “My Side of the Road” came in 1997. Since then their Southern soul sound led them to such faraway locales as Switzerland and stages shared with such legends as Leon Russell. Blue Mother Tupelo isn’t simply the little act that can; they are the little act that did.
A! Magazine For The Arts
Volume 18, Number 6 — June 2011
Blue Mother Tupelo headlines Abingdon Blues Festival
ABINGDON, VA — JUNE 25: The annual Abingdon Blues Festival will be held on Latture Field on Main Street.
The headliner will be Blue Mother Tupelo, who released their third recording, Heaven & Earth, in 2009, featuring 12 songs penned by the husband-and-wife team. Critics said, "Heaven & Earth is earthy, gritty and groove-soaked...The songs blend N'Awlins-style blues with Appalachian acoustic grit, Southern rock grooves, '60s flower-power dreaminess & rootsy rock. Ricky's dobro is slick and juicy as a ripe peach and Micol's voice is both steely & delicate, a cross between Bonnie Raitt & Emmylou Harris."
Bob Patterson, executive director of the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, will measure the success of the Sunset Music Series by the look on the faces of the guests.
Smiles equal success, said Patterson.
“That’s the idea behind the bands scheduled to perform at each of the eight shows planned for the Sunset Music Series,” said Patterson. “It is a good series. When people walk out, they walk out with smiles.”
Patterson said the series is a mix of tried-and-true performers and new faces.
“What we try to do each year is bring back some of the groups who are the most popular and who people are always wanting to come back. Blue Mother Tupelo is one of those,” ...
... Their album, “Love Live ~ 5 Songs From The Road,” showcases some live favorites recorded between 2001 and 2006, and highlights the duo’s penchant for spontaneous musical sincerity. Blue Mother Tupelo’s latest CD, “Heaven & Earth,” was released in 2009 and made waves across Americana and on “Roots Rock” radio stations. It debuted at No. 2, behind Kris Kristofferson, on the EuroAmericana Charts for November of 2009, in the Top 40 on Americana radio in the USA and continues to be in the Top 40 of Roots Music Report’s “Roots Rock” Chart.
[excerpt] ... The stroll up to the Convention Center was a death march through the heat. But it was worth it. At the Durango Acoustic Corner, Blue Mother Tupelo was filling the room with its fabulous, rootsy, funky, folkie, groovy sound. ...
(From the review of the 2011 Fan Fair. To read in its entirety click the highlighted link below):
[excerpt] ... I’m giving the set of the night award (which I just totally made up) to Ricky and Micol Davis, collectively known as Blue Mother Tupelo. The took a mere three-song allotment and made the most of it, supported by some stellar drumming and Micol’s syncopated tambourine skills. At one point in “Give It Away,” I was surprised to realize that they were only using voices and percussion to make all that music. It was amazing, and then when Ricky’s droning slide guitar and the bass player kicked back in, it was amazing-er. Love those guys and their snaky, shaky-shaky grooves. ...
(Exclusive Interview of Ricky & Micol Davis with Blue Mother Tupelo by Sheena Barnett - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo)
The South has a sound, and if you want to hear it, give a listen to Blue Mother Tupelo.
Blue Mother Tupelo Comes To The Motherland
The husband-wife duo of Micol and Ricky Davis is Blue Mother Tupelo, and the couple plays soulful, bluesy country-rock. Despite the band name and having family in the area, the pair have never performed in Tupelo. That will change this weekend.
"Mississippi is the mother of our music," Micol said. "So much of the music we love is from there."
Soulful show
Blue Mother Tupelo released its first record in 1997, and then found a home in Nashville the next year.
Ricky said the pair don't put much thought into what genre they're playing, just in playing quality music. "We love rock 'n' roll as much as we do country, as much as we do blues," he said. "There are two kinds of music, good and bad."
Blue Mother Tupelo has released an EP and three albums, the most recent being 2009's "Heaven & Earth."
"A Blue Mother Tupelo show is the rare kind of concert that will make you think and make you dance, Ricky said.
"I think it takes you through an array of feelings and emotions. You'll feel like boogieing and then we'll do a song that brings it down," he said. The group is also open to reinterpreting their songs live. "We like to let the songs breathe, to reflect what we're feeling or going through at the time," he said.
The pair have spent much of 2010 in a recording studio, working on their own material or producing other bands' records. Still, the pair love performing, and that's where they feel the most at home -- there, and in the hill country. "I'm excited about performing in Tupelo," Micol said. "We're thankful to work and share our music."
... Then there was Blue Mother Tupelo. Oh my goodness. We all can appreciate the difference between talented people and those that have the cosmic “it” factor. These two have “it” and then some. The wife of the team sounded like Patty Griffin on steroids. She had that earthy, node-ridden quality to her voice. Her lines just flowed and danced through each song. She doesn’t have a very full or even sonorous voice. It was like coloratura husky. And when she played the tambourine, she looked like a boxer warming up for a fight. Every part of her body was moving and contracting as this 5 foot nothing pixie added percussion to the mix. Her husband was crazy good. He swapped back and forth between his acoustic and a steel string guitar. And when they sang together, they didn’t have harmonies that lived symbiotically. It was as if they were both singing their own melodies that just met up now and then. I was so enraptured with these two that I passed her a note in the middle of the show. It said, “You guys are rad. Best act I have seen in Nashville.” She thought it was so sweet she put it in her shirt “next to my heart.” I talked with both of them after the show like a bumbling fan. Couldn’t find an articulate word in my brain. I was so captured and lifted and mesmerized. I went home and bought one of their records on iTunes. And the best thing happened. I listened to it, loved it, and thought, “This doesn’t come close to the live show.” So much better than having a record that you love and then being profoundly disappointed by the performer live. If you have any interest in Americana/Blues, you need to add Blue Mother Tupelo to your catalogue.
Fifth Season of Pine Ridge Concerts Starts April 2
The Pine Ridge House Concerts series run by Bryan and Wanda Smith at their home in Clinton is becoming an area institution, with more than 30 intimate living-room concerts by national and local folk and country performers since the series started in 2007. The fifth season of the series starts on Saturday, April 2, with Chuck Brodsky, a witty singer/songwriter from North Carolina, and runs through Nov. 4. The lineup, top-notch as ever, includes Jay Clark and Robinella resurrecting the musical partnership that started with the String Beans in the 1990s, Blount County’s first couple of country, Jeff Barbra and Sarah Pirkle, former Knoxville and current Mississippi blues duo Blue Mother Tupelo, Slaid Cleaves, Marshall Chapman, Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, and Kristi Rose and Fats Kaplin.
BLUE MOTHER TUPELO AT DOGWOOD
Sunday Afternoon Concert in the Park-- 2:00 P.M. Blue Mother Tupelo launched into a foot tappin' growl. The music had plenty, plenty punch-ola, but yet had a timeless genre that took one back to where music wasn't all about electronics or synths--it was pure-d-genuine.Let no one kid you, this group is great--heart and soul....I suggest you watch the vid to get a taste, however, it does lose something in the electronic transfer... that "je ne sais quoi" that smacked you like a wall at the live concert.
BIG LOVE
You’d figure that having been married since the early 1990s and playing scores of dates each year, Ricky and Micol Davis have seen a lot of each other. But when they finished their high energy set at Music City Roots last night (getting the standing-est ovations of the night by the way), and they came over to the chat room, they scrunched up together and Ricky put his arm around Micol and it was so cute I had to describe this for the radio audience. I’d heard their duo/band Blue Mother Tupelo before and loved it in that Delbert McClinton roadhouse kind of way. But it was really special to connect with them as people and see first hand their dedication to the music and to each other.
So there was much love in the house, as the show returned for a new season on a perfect evening at the Loveless Barn. Jill Andrews was all aglow, both because she’s a new mom and a new solo act (her former band the everybodyfields has been adored for five years) and because her music just brims with warmth and beauty. Her voice reminded me of Sally Ellyson of Hem and another backstager of Mindy Smith. Her writing is really strong, and the tense, haunted harmonies of her final song “Sound of the Bells” were captivating. Pretty amazing for a young woman who only picked up the guitar and discovered roots music a few years ago.
And then from new mom love to Big Daddy Love, our Vietti emerging artist of the night. This five-piece from the Ashville area raised the energy level with big locomotive beats and aggressive but not abrasive vocals from Daniel Smith and edgy picking from the electric banjo of Brian Swenk. They were a hard act to follow, as they say, but Blue Mother Tupelo took the challenge. Their song “Tupelo” from their new album Heaven & Earth was a great split-part duet that really showcased Micol’s pipes. And the raving “Give It Away” with its huge groove on Ricky’s National bottleneck guitar was the major cause of the standing, whooping and hollering that highlighted their set.
It’s pretty clear that our final act Kingbilly has a lot of love for each other too, love of the brotherly kind, because they’ve been a band, and a darn good one, for six years, living always at the edge of a breakthrough or a deal, rolling with those punches only the music industry can deliver. I so hoped they were going to tell us their debut album was done and on sale at the merch table, but while it is done, it’s not found a home. Hello? Indie labels? These guys have a bass player with dreadlocks, a movie-star handsome lead singer and they play hundreds of hot, high-energy dates a year. “Damn This River” was driving. “Come Back As Her Beer” was funny and twangy. “Surrender” was anthemic. And they built to a ten minute super jam in which Josh Methenys’ lap steel went guitaro-a-guitaro with John Osborne’s Telecaster. They ripped it up.
Such was the night. We’re ready for about ten more like that before the coming of summer and we have to close the windows again. And speaking of loving musical couples, 18 South returns next week!
Up & Coming New Nashville- Blue Mother Tupelo (With Exclusive Interview)
Interviewed by Ken Morton, Jr.
“The 14 songs are brimming with delta soul and Appalachian energy. Tupelo and Always Lookin’ are back-and-forth duets that fall somewhere in the space between Johnny & June and an uncontrived version of Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock.”—Uncommon Music
Not a bad comparison in either case.
Ricky and Micol Davis, shortly after marrying in 1994, began their musical life together at an open mic night at Sassy Ann's in Knoxville, which proved to be the beginning of something very special. After releasing their debut album, My Side Of The Road, in 1997, they moved to Nashville in 1998. Vanguard recording artist Mindy Smith, who had just moved from Knoxville to Nashville a few months earlier, encouraged Ricky and Micol to move to Music City. The four-piece band continued to perform throughout Tennessee, western North Carolina, and Georgia in clubs and opened concerts for Delbert McClinton, Grand Funk Railroad, and Pat Travers. In between the 4-piece combo shows, the Davis duo performed at open-mike nights and songwriters’ rounds in The Music City. A change in musical direction led to regrouping, and Ricky & Micol set out on their own again.
It's been said that a BMT performance is like stepping into a "pentecostal revival" -- with Ricky and Micol's gritty, sweet, soulful harmonies, earthy sounds of gutbucket guitar and slide, gospel piano & roadhouse pounding of tambourines. But the foundation to all of their work is to channel what is innately deep within them and to let it come forth naturally without definitions or restrictions. In May 2009, Blue Mother Tupelo released their third studio CD called, "Heaven & Earth". "Heaven & Earth" is an album that's honest & earthy, soul-stirring & foot-stompin', celebratory songs of love, faith, friendship, wandering, longing and beauty - southern soul, hill country blues.
That Nashville Sound- What brought you to music in the first place? >> We both (Ricky and myself) have an innate love of music - it’s gotta be something that we were both born with because we pretty much can’t help ourselves when it comes to making music and loving it. Ricky grew up in a family of guitar pickers and with a Dad who writes songs, passing the time on the long & lonesome highways during his job as a truck driver. I was born into a music loving family with church singing being the main outlet. My dad was a Baptist preacher and I was brought up to “sing it like you mean it”.
TNS- Describe your music- what's the mission behind the music? >> Whatever is part of us is part of our music - whether it’s blues, rock & roll, soul, country … We’re not concerned with genres. We write & play what we feel. Others have described our music as country-rock, bluesy, soulful Americana, swampadelic. Our mission is to explode with what we’re feeling and hope that we can make people feel okay about expressing themselves and feeling stuff, too. Whatever emotion it is, indulge in it and connect. The main thing is being authentic and being ourselves and to encourage the listener (who are people just like us) to let go, let loose, & feel something. <<>> Well, we’re mostly “what you see is what you get”, so this is tricky. Maybe that a homegrown tomato is one of our favorite things, or that Ricky never flew on an airplane until 2005 when we went to the premiere of the movie “Daltry Calhoun” in Hollywood (we have a song in the final scene of that movie), or that I taught elementary school music several years before diving in full-time with Blue Mother Tupelo … are those things surprising?
TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod? >> well, we haven’t replaced our iPod, which showed up wearing an “unhappy face” the last time we turned it on … but, mostly we listen to stuff that has inspired us from the get-go. Real country music, hill-country blues, mountain music, Muscle-Shoals and Stax stuff …
TNS- If you had a crystal ball and looked forward five years, what do you see for yourself?
>> Gosh, who knows what 5 years from now will look like? We’ve been Blue Mother Tupelo, now, for 14 years and it keeps getting better and better. We can’t be without music and expressing ourselves in this way. We write when we’re inspired to write and we are thankful that we can share our expressions outside of our home, in the homes and hometowns of the people of the world. My prayer is to be where I’m supposed to be and if that means that we get to continue to create music, put it down in records, sell them, make a living at it, then that’s what I want. Every day is an eye-opening surprise and as a youngster I had a certain view of success, my impression of it so impacted by what was/is mainstream, in your face, top 10, etc … If I had my way today, we’d be at the top of our game in 5 years, creating beautiful, raw, emotional music, making the world a better place and making money enough to take care of ourselves, share it with our loved ones, and give to those in need.
TNS- Nickname for your guitar or other instruments?>> As of today, my tambourine’s nickname is Tammy Faye … & Ricky has no nicknames for his guitars -- yet
Weekend at Rail: ... Blue Mother Tupelo Saturday!
Opelika Daily News
... Ricky and Micol Davis, shortly after marrying in 1994, began their musical life together at an open mic night at Sassy Ann’s in Knoxville, which proved to be the beginning of something very special. After releasing their debut album, My Side Of The Road, in 1997, they moved to Nashville in 1998. Vanguard recording artist Mindy Smith, who had just moved from Knoxville to Nashville a few months earlier, encouraged Ricky and Micol to move to Music City, where open mics, jam sessions and songwriter rounds found the duo ready for 2001’s Delta Low ~ Mountain High, a release that continues to garner favor and attract media attention. 2005’s Miramax film, Daltry Calhoun, features Blue Mother Tupelo’s dreamy rendition of the Paul Anka classic, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” and the movie’s soundtrack also includes BMT’s version. Love Live ~ 5 Songs From The Road showcases some live favorites recorded between 2001 and 2006, and highlights BMT’s penchant for jams and spontaneous sincerity. The song “Without You” (from Delta Low ~ Mountain High) is included in 2009’s 1970s style film, Sugar Boxx, directed by cult film maker Cody Jarrett. Through the years, BMT has traveled wherever the music leads—touring, recording, and living through their music.
Blue Mother Tupelo - Interview with singer & pianist Micol Davis.
PureGrainAudio.com
Author: Bruce Moore
Husband and wife duo Ricky and Micol Davis, (better known as Blue Mother Tupelo) are preparing to release their latest effort, Heaven & Earth. This CD is chock-full of catchy melodies intertwined with southern rock and country music sensibilities that really draw the listener in. I recently spoke with Micol Davis (vocals, piano, tambourines, percussio) about the band's music and their latest release Heaven & Earth.
Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?
Micol: Tops for us are Van Morrison and Delaney & Bonnie (Bramlett). Stuff from the 60s & 70s, for sure. HoundDog Taylor, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers Band, Otha Turner, The Raconteurs, North Mississippi Allstars, The SteelDrivers - they all have the type of raw emotion and unscripted approach that inspires us to continue being ourselves.
Now that your brand new disc Heaven & Earth is complete, how do you feel about it? Are you satisfied with the outcome?
Micol: We are satisfied with the outcome of this disc and believe it is what we were supposed to do with the songs and expression at this moment in our lives and career. We had a blast over the last few years recording/mixing/writing this music.
What can fans expect when they pick up a copy of Heaven & Earth?
Micol: They can rest assured that we loved making this music and that our hearts are there with them as they listen, sing, dance, and feel what they're hearing. Maybe that sounds corny? Well, there is enough hatefulness out there that they can get from somebody else. Sonically, the sounds are warm and created with our own production. There is soul-country and hill-country, rockin' Americana, and adult contemporary balladry. We hope fans grasp the spiritual celebration of humanity and life that we believe is a blessing of continual lessons.
The band keeps things interesting thematically. Can you talk about some of the subjects you tackle on this record?
Micol: Specifically, we approached financial issues, war, storms off the Gulf Coast, the joy our dog brings us, loving somebody, seeking answers to life's questions and celebrating those answers and mysteries with somebody that you love, need and long for. Sometimes you just feel alone and blue. Sometimes you realize that you are not alone and it is okay to receive blessings from the Higher Power. One reviewer got it all wrong about our song "The War"... he said the loved one comes home unscathed... perhaps he should have taken another listen or two. It is not all peaches and cream; there is struggle. But, there's reprieve, too.
Are there any songs on this disc that are personal favorites or that have good stories behind them?
Micol: Well, "Gustard Bellue" (written by Ricky) is a fun favorite because we have our nieces, nephews, and our dog, Gus, singing along with us, doing' their natural thing - and a cast of special folk jammin along on banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, too. In addition, "Give It Away/Hard Times" is pretty cool because we have a major hero of ours on the recording. Otha Turner's fife is heard here and his granddaughters, Sharde Thomas, along with the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band are featured in what we consider a tribute to them as well as a flat out true story about us. We were honored, as well, to pay tribute to Jessie Mae Hemphill with our rendition of her song "Hard Times.” The Turners and Jessie Mae are from the north Mississippi hills - a great source of inspiration for us.
What was the writing process like for Heaven & Earth? How long did it take? How many tracks did you actually write?
Micol: We don't have a writing process... we write a song when we're inspired to and if we get "lucky.” Moreover, some of these songs have been written a little while, such as our two co-writes: "Goin' Down Midnight" and "Hand In Hand.” We moved to Nashville, had our only two writing appointments ever and came up with those songs. Thing is, it's taken us some time to actually settle in to where we were in the right "space" and opportunity to complete this recording and create this album. Specifically, the songs "Heaven and Earth", "Wandering Soul,” and "The War" were all written within a short span of each other and they came to me pretty quickly - within the last year and 1/2, I'd guess. "Tupelo" and "Always Lookin’,” now that I think about it, might be the newest of the bunch. "Runnin' 'Round" came to Ricky in a dream being sung by the soul duo Sam & Dave. "High In The Sky" came to me in a dream as a reggae song. We wrote all of the songs except for "Hard Times" (written by Jessie Mae Hemphill) and "Biloxi" (written by Jessie Winchester). "Ramblin' Train" has been around longer than any of our other originals. But, please, don't "quote me" on dates.
How does your live show differ from your recordings?
Micol: In our live show we allow ourselves to take time with a song and let the music breathe. Songs can morph into each other and take on a life of their own. Though we mostly play our own songs, there are artists and songs that we adore and cannot help but include in some sets. In addition, friends might sit in with us on various instruments like harmonica, banjo, fiddle, mandolin; but we do not get to travel with them, unfortunately. Sometimes we cannot afford to take a bass player along with us or a drummer and Ricky and I perform as a duo. Piano, Dobro, Martin acoustic and tambourines are always in the mix, and we rely on our voices a lot. The recordings have an array of these instruments, though nothing that we'd unlikely use live.
What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?
Micol: Three things jump out at me right off the bat: Being able to hear; Being a good listener; and Being yourself. Those are some of the toughest lessons that we have had to learn both in the studio and on the stage. Everybody is a critic, some gentler than others. Nevertheless, we believe that music and the audience are best served when the performer can hear the sounds, the performers are listening to the sounds, and the performers are lost in the moment without concern for the sounds. Does that make sense?
What is your musical background?
Micol: Ricky comes from a family of guitar pickers and players that performed in rock, gospel and country bands together in and around Knoxville, Tennessee. He curled up in the bass drum during his daddy's band practice, learned from listening and observing them, and basically grew up with a guitar in his arms. Eventually he played several different instruments in his own bands and in school, shredding to Muddy Waters, the Marshall Tucker Band and Jimi Hendrix all night long as a teenager. My music came from church and just growing up a Preacher's daughter with a family that loved to sing. My great-grandmother played the piano and was a music teacher, so I guess I got that from her. I was only around her very early as she passed on when I was two or three but, I took to singing and pecking out tunes on the church piano by the time I was four years old. School choirs and a degree in music education round my background out for me.
What is next for Blue Mother Tupelo?
Micol: I thought creating music and following my calling as an artist was only a dream. Ricky and I have followed this dream and we believe in it. So many of our dreams have come true in this musical world and so many dreams we are still reaching for. We are going to keep pouring 100% of ourselves into our music as honestly and passionately as we can, hopefully connecting with others in a way that is uplifting and worthwhile. We are looking toward our next recording and believing that there is a definite purpose in what we are doing. Living day to day, gig to gig, paycheck to paycheck is an adventure and we are going with the flow. Next for BMT is more of the same and I say that lovingly with respect for the journey and thankful for the life we're living.
Maryville Pronounce Murvul
Knoxify
Author: Chad Huskey
(excerpt)... We went to hear one of my wife and I’s favorite local bands, Blue Mother Tupelo. If you’ve never heard them, you’re depriving yourself of an evening of down home, southern, swampy, bluesy, soul filled music that is guaranteed to stir you. The husband and wife combo of Ricky and Micol sound as though they could have easily crawled from the front porch of some rickety shack in the Louisiana swamp, or some back door blues house in Memphis. Between Ricky’s guitar pickin’ and smooth dobro twanging, and Micol’s sultry voice and heart filled piano playing, their music will move you, and make you wonder, where have these two been hiding!? Also, between sets, Micol was handing out homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies (a.k.a. cow patties) to the crowd. ...
10 Questions: Ricky Davis of Blue Mother Tupelo
No Depression Magazine
Interviewed by Nichole Wagner
When they’re not out on the road promoting Heaven & Earth, their latest record, or in the studio recording, Ricky Davis (half of the duo Blue Mother Tupelo) keeps busy handling the scheduling, producing and other business aspects of music.
From their home in Hendersonville, Tenn. or “Johnny Cash Country” as he calls it, Ricky took some time to answer our questions on their music, touring and an upcoming showcase at the Bijou Theater.
Q: What does your creative process look like?
A: We just Micol and me both, when we write, let if fall naturally. Sometimes months will go by and we don’t really write songs and then we’ll come back with an idea or something but I guess a lot of writers might say that’s an undisciplined writer but we just let it flow naturally. When the mood hits me and I’m moved by something I write at that point.
Is it usually the music or lyrics that comes first?
A: It kind of depends, sometimes I’ll come up with a guitar lick or something and it occurs to me that this is about a certain subject, I don’t know how that hits me that way but it does. Other times, Micol or me will come up with words first, there’s not a pattern to that either.
Q: How often do you and Micol write together?
A: We probably write together about 30-35% of the time. A lot of times we write on our own and then sit down with each other and show each other our songs. What happens a lot of the time too is that one of us will have most the song figured out and we sit down with another writer and iron out the rest of the song.
Q: What was your introduction to music?
A: My family always played music and still do, my dad and uncle and cousins played music. They played on the weekends in local clubs in East Tennessee. That’s how I was exposed to music initially. And then Micol’s family, her dad was a preacher so she certainly got most of her music from church.
Q: If you weren’t a musician what do you think you would be doing?
A: I don’t have a clue, in the past I’ve done a little bit of everything to try and make a living, but as far as if I never got into music, shoot, I wouldn’t even know.
It would probably be something creative, I’ve always had an interest in art but that kind of goes hand-in-hand with music. I haven’t done it in awhile but Micol does it a lot, kind of painting and a lot of folk art stuff that she comes up with.
Q: Do you have a favorite venue to play?
A: We have a couple favorites, we do return to he same venues quite often. I like this little place called Callahan’s in Mobile, Ala. It opened in 1946 and it’s a little neighborhood, it used to be an Irish pub and it still is an Irish pub, and it’s a fun place to play.
The places that I like to play, I’m noticing more and more as time goes on are the places that are actually music venues and people sit down and listen to the music or get up and dance to it but you’re not competing against two or three TVs going at the same time, pool tables, darts and whatever a club might have in it.
Q: When you’re not on tour, what is your day-to-day life like?
A: Basically every day is working on the tours and stuff. When I’m off the road I’m producing or working on a new song or somebody’s project, promoting the shows or working on our upcoming CD. We’re independent artists so we have to do most everything on our own.
Q: What types of music do you listen to when you’re listening for your own enjoyment?
A: I like pretty much anything, there’s hardly anything I don’t like. One thing that doesn’t get under my skin is when music don’t have soul. Or I feel like it doesn’t have soul, if it’s really contrived and formulaic.
Q: Do you and Micol find it difficult to balance your work and personal relationships?
A: Not really, we both enjoy making music and we have similar interests. We almost like all the same things, we’re obviously not one person so there’s a few things we might like that the other person might not but we’ve been married 15 years and we feel like it’s a blessing to make music in such a competitive business and to be able to do it as independent artists.
Q: If you could sit down for an hour and play with any musician, alive or dead, who would it be?
A: There’s a few but I would have to say Van Morrison and B.B. King. And Willie Nelson.
Q: Is there anything people listening to your music need to know about you?
A: I appreciate people giving our music a chance, it’s very humbling to have folks like our music. When I sit down to make music I’m making it for myself, for my own enjoyment and if other people enjoy it that’s just icing on the cake.
And we’re going to be playing at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, Tenn. and the show is called Tennessee Shines. It’ll be us and Malcolm Holcombe, Jim Lauderdale is the M.C., Dan Tyminski and Ashley Cleveland. That’ll be the night before Thanksgiving, it’ll be fun.
Visit BlueMotherTupelo.com for more info and tour dates.
My current obsession: Blue Mother Tupelo. First of all, I really dig their name. If that's not enough, they sound pretty awesome too. Husband and wife duo, Ricky and Mikol Davis, exude southern soul, combining elements of blues and country music, creating a new sound that is raw, honest, passionate, and inspired. Equally at home on a performing arts stage or a juke joint, these guys are simply amazing. Listening to Blue Mother Tupelo on this cold, blustery day has me dreaming of summer music festivals, sundresses,and sandals. Spring, please come soon!
Listening in With Jay Clark
Review by Jay Clark
Metro Pulse Magazine
Singer/songwriter Jay Clark moved back to Knoxville in October after a few years in Alabama, and he’s not wasted any time getting back into the local music scene. Here’s what he’s been listening to since coming back to town.
Jill Andrews, Jill Andrews (Liam Records, 2009)
Jill’s lyrics are honest and sung like an angel. The mellowness is great and accentuated by Josh Oliver’s background vocals. I usually don’t mess with EPs, but this one is for sure a carrot that is dangling until a full album is released.
Doug and Telisha Williams, Ghost of the Knoxville Girl (No Evil Records, 2009)
This husband-wife duo are good friends of mine and we do a few shows together each year. This is their second recording of original material and it’s full of unapologetic honesty. A couple tunes are especially appealing to me, given their mixture of religion and libations (“Last Call,” “Unrepentant Sinner’s Last Prayer”). Telisha’s vocals will just flat out put a hurtin’ on you on multiple tracks (“If My Heart,” “Learning to Drink Whiskey,” “I Wonder”). Furthermore, “20.2,” which was inspired by the unemployment rate in their hometown of Martinsville, Va., is a must-listen for anyone who loves shopping at Walmart!
Kathleen Edwards, Failer (Zoe Records, 2003)
Kathleen Edwards’ 2008 release, Asking for Flowers, has seen a lot of spins in my CD player during 2009. I think this one might even be better. I suggest turning up the stereo, turning off the TV (or at least putting it on something mindless like the Weather Channel), kicking back in the recliner, and getting a good buzz on. It won’t be a wasted 45 minutes.
Blue Mother Tupelo, Heaven and Earth (Diggin’ Music, 2009)
Another husband/wife duo I’ve gotten to know through playing a few festivals together. Although I love this CD, my wife, Stacy, would probably tell you that this is her favorite at the moment. Ricky and Micol Davis have put together a great mixture of original tunes that are full of gospel soul and genuine blues. Ricky’s guitar work throughout the record is great but really comes through on “Give It Away/Hard Times.” It makes me feel as though I’m somewhere in rural Mississippi on the front porch of some old fallen-down house, sweating like crazy from the heavy heat. And Micol—she not only plays the meanest tambourine ever, she has one of the most genuinely soulful voices, and whether it is a rockin’ blues tune or a heartfelt ballad, I do not tire of hearing it.
Kris Kristofferson, Closer to the Bone (New West, 2009)
One of my greatest influences and favorite songwriters, Kris Kristofferson continues to inspire me to write honestly and unapologetically. Musically, this record is much like his 2006 release, This Old Road, which for the most part was a raw, stripped-down recording. I don’t see how anyone can sit down and listen to either of his last two records and not say, “Damn, this is good.”
Solomon Burke, Nashville (Shout! Factory, 2006)
When Stacy and I have friends over to the house, I have a bad habit of playing DJ in the wee hours of the morning. This involves pulling out a handful of CDs and playing a song here, a song there, some sad, some happy, switching to another CD, repeat. When I put this CD in the changer, I usually just push play and say, “Listen to all of this one.” Produced by Buddy Miller and recorded in his living room, Nashville features songs by a hodgepodge of country and Americana artists (Jim Lauderdale, Tom T. Hall, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Kevin Welch) and duets with Welch, Dolly Parton, Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Patty Lovelace. You can’t fake soul, and if this record doesn’t stir your soul, then call a shrink because something ain’t right.