I Belong To The Band: A Tribute To Rev. Gary Davis

In 1964, 14-year-old Rory Block visited the legendary Rev. Gary Davis at his home for a quick tutorial on how to play the blues. Nearly 50 years later, she shows how much she’s learned on *I Belong to the Band*, a tribute to Davis’ enduring legacy. Block brings her trademark guitar virtuosity to this project, the latest in a series of salutes to her mentors. More than that, she infuses these tracks with an exuberant spirit that reflects the Reverend’s heady blend of Delta blues, folk, and traditional gospel. Standards like “Samson & Delilah,” “Pure Religion,\" and “Twelve Gates to the City” take on a new vibrancy thanks to Block’s fluent grasp of Davis’ intricate ragtime rhythms. Her vocals—multitracked into a ragtag choir at key moments—have the joyful abandon of a midnight church service. “I Am the Light of the World” and “Goin’ to Sit Down on the Banks of the River” are particularly stellar performances, displaying the guitarist’s masterful fingerpicking technique to its fullest. *I Belong to the Band* shows Block as a faithful student of Rev. Davis’ music and a brilliant interpreter in her own right.