HANK DAVIS - STILL ROCKIN' IN THE WOODS !
(CHAPTER 11)

THE BLUES BROTHERS

Anthony Campbell, Calvin Morris, and Hank Davis

It wasn't just his decision to become a psychologist that changed the old routines in Hank's life. In time, also his music started approaching totally new ranges. The era of rising folk boom was raising its head, and political matters such as civil rights and race questions were up for discussion all over the country, particularly in student world. In that sense the timing could not have been any more central than it was when Hank in 1964 went and formed the "cross-breed" acoustic trio with two young religious black men he had met in Boston University, a Detroit Baptist minister Anthony C. Campbell (born in South Carolina in 1938), and a history student Calvin S. Morris (born in Philadelphia in 1941), and started performing gospel and blues music with them as The Blues Brothers at folk clubs and church events. The Blues Brothers even did a tour in racial prejudiced southeast parts of America. True, these brothers were carrying through the real "mission from God", and it was years before Aykroyd and Belushi...



"So here are three guys who know and can feel each other musically, who can communicate volumes with the wink of an eye, and who can turn out an album - which I feel is exceptional in the degree if warmth, hinesty and sincerity which you can virtually feel. At least, I hope so." (Hank Davis in the liner notes of 'God Made The Blues' in 1964)

Hank, Tony and Calvin also visited at the studio. In 1964 they actually cut material (again under production of George Alpert, engineered by Herb Yacus) for two full-length LP's. The first of them was released on Folk Art Records as 'God Made The Blues, Vol.1' (on mono). Three of twelve songs on album were Hank's acoustic solo numbers: traditional 'Motherless Children' and 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' were found from Blind Willie Johnson's repertoire and 'Don't Look Now' was Hank's original. The remaining 9 sides featured Hank, Tony and Calvin in different variations. The lead vocals were mostly by Tony and Calvin, while Hank settled for playing the rhythm guitar and humming on background. Besides the album, Folk Art issued also a limited edition 45rpm single (Folk Art 5002), that contained songs 'How Long Have You Been A Negro' ja 'Hit 'Em Again Lord'.



During its brief existence, the Folk Art was able to release only a handful of records, including ones by Lightnin' Hopkins ('In Town', FLP 5003), Leadbelly ('I'm Never Gone', FLP 5004), and Jesse Fuller ('God Made The Blues, Vol.2', FLP 5005). When the expected time of Hank's, Tony's and Calvin's second album was in hands, the company was already hopelessly insolvent. Along with bankruptcy a remarkable amount of interesting Blues Brothers recordings were dangerously close to disappear for good. A couple of those songs were Hank's solo performances, and fatefully those were some of the greatest acoustic recordings he had ever done. Thank God (and the Dutch bootleg companies), also those songs (Jimmy Roger's 'That's All Right' and Hank's original gospel tune 'Treat A Stranger Right') were finally released in the 1970's. Tony and Calvin didn't return into the studio after Folk Art recordings (which actually were their first recordings ever). Campbell became a travelling preacherman, while Calvin decided stay in his home town. There were also serious plans to organize a reunion concert for the original Blues Brothers, but sadly it never came true. Tony passed away at summer of 2003, only a few months before the long-waited performance was scheduled to happen.


Hank Davis biography, chapter 12

                                                                                                                                                               
Hank Davis discography        Hank Davis session discography