Debbie Davies is one of my favorite guitarists, and with her emotive vocals she has become one of my favorite performers. Her tenth release and first for Telarc Records is "All I Found". For this outing she has put together an all-star band featuring Arthur Neilson, second guitar; Bruce Katz, keyboards; Noel Neal, bass; and Per Hanson, drums.

Debbie Davies apprenticed while being the second guitarist in the Albert Collins Band, "The Icebreakers", from 1988 until 1991 and so it is with conviction that she opens this album with "the blues, you can't take that job away, the blues Made Right in the USA". In 1997 Debbie Davies won a Handy Award for the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of The Year.

Don Castagno, her regular drummer (who along with A. J. Hager, bass are a formidable rhythm section and do not appear here), has for this outing written four of the eleven songs including "Made Right in the USA", the fantastic title track "I went looking for a good man but All I Found was you", "I Won't be Your Baby Too Long", and "Comfort Zone". He has also co-written two more with Debbie the humorous "Troughin'", and "What Do You See In That Girl".

Debbie Davies has written all the remaining songs, including "One More Time", "Evidence", "Every Breath I Take", and "Trying to Keep It Real". The highlight of the album however is a funky instrumental called "So What". Debbie's guitar phrasing is always creative and she credits Albert Collins as her primary influence, just listen to her "icy" tone on the solo in "All I Found".

This is a great album, by a consistently excellent performer and well produced by Randy Labbe. Debbie Davies next area appearance will be back at The Turning Point, 468 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, NY on August 6th, be sure to be there.

Richard Ludmerer
Director, The New York Blues & Jazz Society
ricdale2@yahoo.com