Dave Alvin

Last updated

Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin Eleven Eleven.jpg
Alvin in 2011
Background information
Birth nameDavid Albert Alvin
Born (1955-11-11) November 11, 1955 (age 68)
Origin Downey, California, U.S.
Genres Americana, alternative country, rockabilly, country rock, folk rock
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1977–present
Labels Rhino, Yep Roc

David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters. He often refers to himself as "Blackjack Dave," in reference to his 1998 album and song of the same name.

Contents

Early life

Alvin grew up in Downey, California. He and his older brother, Phil Alvin, as teenagers frequented blues, rockabilly and country music venues. [1] Dave attended Long Beach State University. [2]

Career

With the Blasters

In 1979, Alvin and his brother Phil formed the roots-rock band The Blasters with fellow Downey residents Bill Bateman and John Bazz. [1] [3] Alvin served as the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter. [3] The Rough Guide to Rock noted the ever-increasing numbers of originals that Alvin wrote for the Blasters, along with his maturation into a great songwriter. [4]

Other artists have covered Alvin's songs. For example, "Marie Marie" became a British-German top 20 hit in 1980 for Shakin' Stevens and received a zydeco treatment in 1987 from Buckwheat Zydeco. Dwight Yoakam recorded "Long White Cadillac" in 1989. [1]

Alvin was in the original lineup until 1986. His departure reflected internal tension in the band, but ultimately he wanted to sing his own songs while his brother Phil Alvin was the established lead vocalist for the group. [5]

Alvin has rejoined the Blasters for some reunion tours and live albums with the original lineup. He has also occasionally performed with the band under other circumstances as well. [6]

With X and the Knitters

Alvin served a brief stint as the lead guitarist of the Los Angeles–based alternative rock band X. He left X in 1987 to work on a solo project after the group recorded their album See How We Are .

Alvin was also a member of the country folk band The Knitters, an offshoot of X. He appeared on their 1985 album Poor Little Critter on the Road and their 2005 follow-up, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters. [1]

With the Flesh Eaters

In the early 1980s, Alvin, along with fellow Blasters members Bill Bateman and Steve Berlin, performed on A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die by the Los Angeles punk band the Flesh Eaters. This lineup, which also included John Doe and D.J. Bonebrake, assembled once again in 2006, performing three shows in California and one in England to mark the album's 25th anniversary. They reunited briefly in 2015 for a five-show tour and again for an eight-show run in 2018. They issued a new album, I Used to Be Pretty , in 2019. [7]

Solo

Alvin in 2007 Dave Alvin.jpg
Alvin in 2007

Alvin's first solo album, Romeo's Escape (entitled Every Night About This Time in England), was released in 1987. It was well received by critics but did not sell well. Because of the album's low sales, Alvin's recording contract with Columbia Records was terminated. He then toured with Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana, billed as the Pleasure Barons; an album recorded live on their 1993 tour was released. [1]

Alvin's second solo album, Blue Blvd, was released by Hightone Records in 1991. It received positive reviews and had moderate sales. His album Museum of Heart was released in 1993. He recorded King of California , an album of acoustic music, in 1994. In 2000, he recorded the album Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land , a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. [1]

In 2011, Alvin recorded the album Eleven Eleven , released by Yep Roc Records. The album marked his return to rock roots. [8] Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, called Alvin "an underrecognized guitar hero". [8]

Further recordings with Phil Alvin

In 2014, Dave and Phil Alvin, as a duo, released the album Common Ground, consisting of their versions of songs by Big Bill Broonzy. [9] It was the first studio collaboration of the brothers since the mid-1980s. [10] [11] In 2015 they released Lost Time, a collection of covers including four songs by Big Joe Turner. [12]

In live performance, Alvin assumed the role of emcee and storyteller. The brothers also worked Blasters tunes into the set list. [13]

With Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Alvin and Texas singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore teamed on the 2018 album Downey to Lubbock (the title is a reference to where each man grew up).

As seen in his live performances with brother Phil, Alvin's stories between songs were a notable part of the stage shows with Gilmore and their supporting musicians. [14]

In April 2022, Alvin announced his return to public performance after a grueling two-year battle with different forms of cancer that started in May 2020. He chose to do so with Gilmore, scheduling nine dates in California for late June and early July 2022. [15]

Producer and collaborator

Alvin has produced records for Chris Gaffney, Tom Russell, the Derailers, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and Red Meat. He collaborated with the rockabilly musician Sonny Burgess. [1] He has worked as a studio session musician accompanying Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Little Milton, Katy Moffatt, and Syd Straw. [1]

Alvin has lent his guitar playing to other artists' albums over the years. For example, he played with the Gun Club and appeared on two songs from their 1984 album, The Las Vegas Story [1]

Film

Alvin appeared in the movies Border Radio and Floundering and on the FX television series Justified in 2011. [16] He also appeared in Streets of Fire , with the Blasters, in 1984. [17]

Poetry and other writing

Alvin has published two books of poetry: Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You and Nana, Big Joe & the Fourth of July. His poetry has appeared in Caffeine, the A.K.A. Review, Rattler, Asymptote and Enclitic and in the anthologies Nude Erections, Hit and Run Poets and Poetry Loves Poetry—An Anthology of Los Angeles Poets.

A collection of Alvin's writing called New Highway was scheduled for release in September 2022. Its subtitle -- Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies and Blues -- described the scope of his work.

The Blasters discography

(recordings with Dave Alvin as member)

The Blasters videography

X discography

The Knitters discography

The Pleasure Barons discography

Gene Taylor Blues Band discography

The Third Mind discography

Dave Alvin discography

YearAlbumChart Positions
US Country
[18] 		US
[19] 		US Heat
[20] 		US Indie
[21]
1987 Romeo's Escape (also released as Every Night About This Time)60116——
1991 Blue Blvd ————
1993 Museum of Heart ————
1994 King of California ————
1996 Interstate City ————
1998 Blackjack David ————
2000 Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land ————
2002 Out in California ————
Outtakes in California[Limited Edition]————
2004 Ashgrove ———38
2005The Great American Music Galaxy————
2006 West of the West ——2435
2007Live from Austin, TX (Austin City Limits)————
2009 Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women ————
2011 Eleven Eleven —159431
2014 Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy (with Phil Alvin)—144325
2015Lost Time (with Phil Alvin)——832
2018 Downey to Lubbock (with Jimmie Dale Gilmore) [22] 41—212
2020From An Old Guitar (Rare and Unreleased Tracks)————
2024TexiCali (with Jimmie Dale Gilmore)————
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Other contributions

Writings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X (American band)</span> American punk rock band

X is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles. The original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. The band released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid-to-late 1990s, X reunited in the early 2000s and continued to tour. In June 2024, X announced a final album and farewell tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Joe Turner</span> American singer (1911–1985)

Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fame was due to his rock and roll recordings in the 1950s, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but his career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Allen (musician)</span> American tenor saxophone player (1927–1994)

Lee Francis Allen was an American tenor saxophone player. Phil Alvin, Allen's bandmate in The Blasters, called him one of the most important instrumentalists in rock'n'roll. Allen's distinctive tone has been hailed as "one of the defining sounds of rock'n'roll" and "one of the DNA strands of rock."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blasters</span> American rock band

The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described "American Music" is a blend of rockabilly, early rock and roll, punk rock, mountain music, and rhythm and blues and country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Knitters</span> Band

The Knitters are a Los Angeles-based band who play country, rockabilly and folk music. The Knitters' name is a play on the name of the folk group The Weavers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Smither</span> American songwriter

William Christopher Smither is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, and modern poets and philosophers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Russell</span> Musical artist

Thomas George Russell is an American singer-songwriter. Although most strongly identified with the Americana music tradition, his music also incorporates elements of folk, rock, and the cowboy music of the American West. Many of his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Johnny Cash, The Texas Tornados, k.d. lang, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Jason Boland, Nanci Griffith, Katy Moffatt, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sailcat, Iris Dement, Dave Alvin, and Suzy Bogguss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Kirchen</span> American musician (born 1948)

William Knight Kirchen is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid-1970s and later worked with Nick Lowe. Guitar Player magazine described Kirchen as "Titan of The Telecaster" for his prowess on the guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Alvin</span> American singer and guitarist

Philip Joseph Alvin is an American singer and guitarist known primarily as the leader of the rock band The Blasters. His voice has been described as "robust...powerful...rich, resonant, [and] supremely confident."

<i>Hard Line</i> (album) 1985 studio album by the Blasters

Hard Line is the fourth album by the American roots rock band the Blasters, released in 1985. Dave Alvin quit the band shortly after the album's release. The album peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200.

<i>The Blasters</i> (album) 1981 studio album by the Blasters

The Blasters is the second album by American rock band the Blasters. Originally released in the United States by the independent label Slash Records, its strong sales performance required a deal for wider distribution with Warner Bros. Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaney Bramlett</span> American musician (1939–2008)

Delaine Alvin "Delaney" Bramlett was an American singer and guitarist. He was best known for his musical partnership with his wife Bonnie Bramlett in the band Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, which included a wide variety of other musicians, many of whom were successful in other contexts.

Christopher F. Gaffney was an American singer and songwriter from the Southwest. His career, both as a solo musician and as a member of several bands, was as eclectic as his musical tastes. Although he never achieved widespread fame, Gaffney, who died at the age of 57 from liver cancer, left his mark on country, rock, soul, and other forms of American music. In its obituary, the Los Angeles Times described Gaffney as "a peer of [Dave] Alvin, Los Lobos, X and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in chronicling the life of Southern California."

"Marie Marie" is a song by American rock and roll band the Blasters. It became an international success after being covered by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens.

<i>American Music</i> (album) 1980 studio album by The Blasters

American Music is the debut album by American rock band The Blasters, released in 1980.

<i>Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy</i> 2014 studio album by Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin

Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy is a studio album by rock musicians Dave and Phil Alvin, released in 2014. The album is a tribute to the songs of Big Bill Broonzy; the brothers credit him with writing the first rockabilly song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmie Dale Gilmore discography</span>

Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer. His discography consists of 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 2 compilations, 2 EPs, and 6 singles. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.

John Bazz is an American bass guitarist known for his long service in The Blasters. Bazz's credits also include work with various other notable musicians, including Charlie Musselwhite, Marc Ford, Mike Eldred, Top Jimmy, Ryan Bingham, and Lynwood Slim.

Bill Bateman is an American drummer best known for his long service in the Blasters. He has also played for the Flesh Eaters, the Red Devils, and the Cramps.

<i>County Fair 2000</i> 1994 studio album by Phil Alvin

County Fair 2000 is the second solo album by the American musician Phil Alvin, released in 1994. It arrived eight years after his solo debut, Un "Sung Stories", and followed years Alvin devoted to mathematics work. Alvin supported the album by touring with a Dave Alvin-less version of the Blasters. Alvin called the album "American minstrel music".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Deming, Mark. Dave Alvin: Biography. AllMusic
  2. ↑ Barabak, Mark Z. (June 3, 2011). "Troubadour of Troubled Times". Los Angeles Times Magazine . Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Sullivan, Denise. "Artist Biography: The Blasters". AllMusic.com.
  4. ↑ Buckley, Peter; Buckley, Jonathan, eds. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock . Rough Guides. pp.  106. ISBN   978-1-85828-457-6.
  5. ↑ Sculley, Alan (September 23, 2015). "Alvin brothers: Losing no more time playing apart". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  6. ↑ Rosen, Craig (December 15, 2012). "The Blasters' frontman Phil Alvin takes to the stage New Year's Eve after a scary 2012". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  7. ↑ Cook, Glenn. (March 19, 2019). "Show Review: Flesh Eaters Rock DC's Union Stage With Porcupine". Americana Highways. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Scherman, Tony (June 21, 2011). "Dave Alvin: Eleven Eleven". Rolling Stone .
  9. ↑ Gallo, Phil (February 19, 2014). "Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Talk 'Common Ground' Album, Premiere 'All By Myself' Song: Listen Exclusively". Billboard . Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ Dougherty, Steve (May 29, 2014). "A Torn-Up Band of Brothers, Finally on the Mend". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  11. ↑ Lewis, Randy (June 6, 2014). "Dave and Phil Alvin, Former Blasters Mates, Resurrect Partnership". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Elliot Stephen (March 2016). "Dave Alvin: Return of the Battlin' Brothers". Vintage Guitar . p. 24.
  13. ↑ "Dave and Phil Alvin and the Guilty Ones". Elmore Magazine. September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  14. ↑ Ferguson, Neil (October 1, 2018). "Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore Prove Perfect Collaborators in Portland". Glide Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  15. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (April 14, 2022). "'I Should Have Died': Dave Alvin, Seminal California Country-Punk Guitarist, Talks Private Cancer Battle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Dave Alvin lives to tell about his 'Justified' stint". Stltoday.com. May 31, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Dave Alvin: Filmography". IMDb.com.
  18. ↑ "Dave Alvin Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard .
  19. ↑ "Dave Alvin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard .
  20. ↑ "Dave Alvin Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard .
  21. ↑ "Dave Alvin Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard .
  22. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (May 29, 2018). "Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Downey To Lubbock". American Songwriter.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.