“Today” and “tonight” represent Friday, Aug. 9; Saturday and Sunday are Aug. 10 and 11.
PORT ANGELES — Guitarist Thom Davis has a pair of gigs this weekend: one with blues harmonica man Mr. C in downtown Port Angeles, and one solo just outside town.
First off, Davis and Mr. C are poised to play The Loom, the nightclub inside Studio Bob, 118½ E. Front St., this Saturday night. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. with no cover charge, the men will explore the music they love: rootsy folk and country blues.
Sunday afternoon brings Davis’ next gig: from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Camaraderie Cellars, 334 Benson Road. There’s no charge for this one either, though guests may want to bring pocket money for beverages.
Spanish roots
A native Californian, Davis began learning from his Spanish grandmother, who planted his musical roots in the Spanish classical and flamenco guitar when he was 7 years old. He later studied classical guitar under Roberto Torres and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Davis’ first public performances were in the early 1960s as a member of the New Brandy Creek Singers with David Gilman, Dennis Sullivan and Faye La Belle. In those days, their songs weren’t labeled “blues;” they were called folk, roots or race music.
Davis first felt the power of the blues while playing a gig in the late ’60s. When he laid down the Nick Gravenites tune “Born in Chicago,” he remembers, the crowd responded with abundant fervor. They were in a nightclub in Yokohama, Japan.
Over the years, Davis has crossed paths with people who proved key to his understanding of the blues tradition: Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, Cootie Stark, John Cephas, David “Honey Boy” Edwards, Carl Rutherford, Alice Stuart, Precious Bryant, Guy Davis, Louisiana Red, Orville Johnson and Ragtime Rick Blaufeld.
Also a teacher, Davis gives lessons in fingerstyle and slide guitar, basic classical guitar and Delta and Piedmont blues styles. He can be reached via www.ThomDavis.com.
For more information about activities at The Loom, email Sarah@TuckerArt.com or visit The Loom LLC’s page on Facebook. To reach Camaraderie Cellars, phone 360-417-3564.
