David Evans Biog

David Evans has been performing country blues (vocal and guitar) since 1962, having learned directly from many southern blues musicians of an older generation over the past forty years. Much of this learning was gained in the course of field research on the country blues tradition, beginning in 1964. Evans is currently Professor of Music at University of Memphis and has taught on a visiting basis at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of Big Road Blues: Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues along with many other blues publications and has produced many records of field and studio recordings of blues. He has also played guitar on records of Jessie Mae Hemphill and Hammie Nixon. Evans first musical partner was the late Alan Wilson, who went on to become a member of the blues-rock group Canned Heat. Since 1980, Evans has toured in Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy as a guitar accompanist to Jessie Mae Hemphill, Hammie Nixon, Johnnie Shines and has made solo tours in Germany, France, Italy, England, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. He has also performed at many clubs, concerts, and festivals in the United States over the years, both as an accompanist and soloist. Evans is also a member of the Last Chance Jug Band, a 5-piece group based in Memphis that recreates the sounds of that citys jug band tradition. They have performed in a number of mid-south concerts and festivals and have twice been featured artists on the nationally syndicated Beale Street Caravan radio program. The group consists of Evans on vocals, guitar and kazoo; Jobie Kilzer on harmonica and jug; Dick Raichelson on piano; Amy Adcock on bass; and Jack Adcock on jug and washboard. Evans has recorded two tracks on The Spirit Lives On: Deep South Country Blues and Spirituals in the 1990s (Hot Fox HF-CD-005, released in Germany). The Last Chance Jug Band has also released a CD, Shake That Thing! on the Inside Memphis label (1997).