Page 14 - BiTS_12_DECEMBER_2020

Ebylee “EB” Davis (“The Blues Ambassador”) has lived in Berlin, Germany for many years, but he was
born in Arkansas, and sang the blues in Memphis and New York before settling in Europe, and
becoming a major figure on the German blues scene. Check him out at www.ebdavis.com. He readily

agreed to do Norman Darwen’s regular BiTS Christmas interview:

Was Christmas an important part of the blues
scene in your local area when you were growing
up?

When I first became enthralled with the Blues was as
a kid in Helena Arkansas. There were several local
Blues clubs that featured regularly people like Robert
Jr. Lockwood, Houston Stackhouse, Robert
Nighthawk, Sonny Boy Williamson. They didn't put

on any extra shows for Christmas because Blues was
an everyday feature. Sometimes there would be a
Christmas special where they would feature several
artists on the same bill.

I moved to Memphis at a young age because of the
reputation that Beale Street had at the time as the

Mecca of Blues. They also did not do any Christmas
extravaganzas because you could see people like
B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Rosco Gordon, Bobby Rush,
Sam Carr, Rufus Thomas, all on a daily basis. There
was a club on Beale Street - Club Handy- that had live Blues with name artists seven nights a week.

Then I was invited to New York by Blues club owner, Eugene Golston, who ran a successful club in
Brooklyn called the 521 club. As opposed to Memphis and Helena, New York did have Christmas
Blues specials. Possibly because the Blues was not so prevalent in New York as it was in Arkansas
and Memphis.

Which were the most popular Christmas numbers in the blues clubs, and do you add any extra songs
to your set list for Christmas?

The most all-time popular Christmas songs were by Charles Brown. I usually add one or two
Christmas songs to the set list. I don’t add more than that because I have found over the years that
the audience is usually not there to hear such songs but others they identify with. When you have
people that come to your gigs on a regular basis you learn what touches them.

Have you ever tried writing your own Christmas blues?

I have written several Christmas Blues songs in my career but until now I have not attempted to do
anything with them. I also did a reworking of the Albert King song called “Santa Claus Wants Some
Loving”. Because I find it different and also funny.

14