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The eclectic blues of Guy Davis

Guy Davis and the High Flying Rockets
Loeb Playhouse, Purdue University, West Lafayette
Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m., $16-$24

Guy Davis is an artist who has dabbled in many forms and excelled in all. He has appeared on the stage, television, the silver screen and, most notably, as a blues musician and storyteller. He’ll bring all of his skills to the Loeb Playhouse on the Purdue University campus this Friday.

Davis’ latest album, Skunkmello (Red House), combines his talents as a musician, writer, storyteller and historian. The album is his most eclectic to date, running the buffet table from solo acoustic to a full band. There’s even a remix of a song recorded on a previous album (“Uncle Tom is Dead”).

“I can’t say this was my plan,” he says. “It just happened that way. I just went in, recorded what was good to me and then picked out the best songs.”

In the mid-’90s, Davis was a part of the new generation of acoustic blues players (Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Eric Bibb, Keb Mo’). All of them have expanded their own sound.

“It’s a growing thing. When I first heard it [Skunkmello], I thought it was truly wonderful,” he says. “This was my entry into the recording world.”

A new sound means a new tour. In the past, Davis has performed solo. This time, he’s bringing along a band, the High Flying Rockets. Like the album, Davis says his performance will feature a variety of sound styles.

“I’ll still tell some stories,” he says. “I don’t ever get into a rut for any reason. I have plenty to say, plenty to do.”