David Davis and the Warrior River Boys have long been recognized as modern leaders in traditional BlueGrass, but on their latest release “Didn’t He Ramble” : Songs of Charlie Poole, they throw genre boundaries aside by delving deeper into the roots of acoustic music. They have produced a masterful and exciting collection of songs originally recorded in the 1920’s by the legendary Charlie Poole and His North Carolina Ramblers, a generation before Bill Monroe is credited with founding Blue Grass music. “Our intentions was to evolve the songs, yet leave the strength and essence of the original feel as our foundation and build on that,” explains Davis.
“Didn’t He Ramble” is eagerly anticipated in Bluegrass circles, as well as more widely among fans of folk and acoustic music. Co-producer David Davis is leading the charge. He is a veteran picker appearing on numerous classic Bluegrass recordings and a recipient of countless awards in Bluegrass and Country Music.
Being that Poole and his music are the subject of such admiration, this is a musical repertoire some would find daunting to delve into with the Warrior River Boys energy, commitment and pure Bluegrass spirit. Davis’ own deep musical roots played a part in taking on this project, with his uncle Cleo having been the original Blue Grass Boy with Bill Monroe.
He grew up hearing bluegrass and early country music at his father’s knee. From those early influences in rural Alabama, Davis went on to sing with his dad, everything from Monroe Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys, to Cowboy Copas, and Ernest Tubb. At the impressionable age of twelve, with his family, he first heard Bill Monroe play live and his life was destined never to be the same.
Bluegrass music has been Davis’ lifetime calling, and he brings the same intensity to interpreting Charlie Poole material as he does to the world of traditional BlueGrass.
David Davis joined Garry Thurmond and the Warrior River Boys in 1982 at the age of twenty one and by late 1984 accepted the role of bandleader. Since then, he and the band have appeared in forty- six states, all Canadian Provinces and the Bahamas.
In 2010, Davis was inducted into the Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was inducted into The National Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the National Old-time Country Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Music in 2016.
