With northern Michigan’s Joshua Davis getting a hero’s welcome on his return to Traverse City this week based on his impressive run on “The Voice,” Local Spins revisits the Guest Playlist he compiled in March just before heading into the Battle Rounds.
Joshua Davis: The Local Spins Guest Playlist
Joshua Davis has gone from local favorite to national TV hero.
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The Traverse City singer-songwriter and Earthwork Music artist well-known to West Michigan audiences for his solo albums and work with bands such as Steppin’ In It suddenly has been thrust into the celebrity spotlight after passing his “blind audition” on NBC’s popular “The Voice.”
Moving to Battle Rounds: Joshua Davis on “The Voice” (Photo/NBCUniversalMediaVillage)
Starting Monday, the reality TV singing competition moves into the Battle Rounds, where contestants — including Davis — are paired up to perform together, with one of them chosen to advance. (Read more about Davis’ experience with the Los Angeles TV show in this Local Spins interview, along with a video of his blind audition.)
Davis, who chose to perform Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” during his audition, cites Dylan and The Band as major influences on his own music, though there are plenty of other artists who’ve inspired him as demonstrated by the Guest Playlist he submitted to Local Spins (which grew from a Top 10 list to a Top 14 roster).
But Dylan clearly has played a starring role: The “sneak peek” preview released by “The Voice” of next week’s Battle Rounds features contestants Davis and Brian Johnson performing a rendition of Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Watch that performance here.
As for Davis’ playlist, he explains: “Jotted the notes really quickly, but I love all of these songs dearly. Just the first ones to pop into my head. I could keep going for pages and pages.” Check out the selections, with a Spotify playlist below.
If you want to see Davis live, he’ll perform several songs as part of the C3 Exchange Sunday morning gathering at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Grand Haven Community Center in downtown Grand Haven.
JOSHUA DAVIS: THE LOCAL SPINS GUEST PLAYLIST
1. “Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep,” Swan Silvertones — I love gospel music. I know, a nice Jewish boy and gospel music don’t seem to mix, but I can’t get enough, especially the early vocal groups. I think the Silvertones are the best. Michael Erlewine turned me on to these guys and when I first heard it, I started jumping up and down. Sometimes I’ll listen to this song 10 times in a row.
2. “Sugar High,” Jen Sygit — I’m proud to call Jen Sygit a good friend. Michigan is overflowing with talented songwriters, singers and players. I think Jen is one of our finest. “Sugar High” is an impeccably written tune. It pleases both my brain and my heart all at once. Great wordplay without losing an ounce of feeling or seeming like a put-on. Long live Sygit!
3. “Papa Hobo,” Paul Simon — Detroit has got a “lefthanded way of making a man sign up on that automotive dream.” Possibly my favorite Paul Simon song, although it’s hard to choose. Orchestral harmonicas are a plus.
4. “Through & Through & Through,” Joel Plaskett — Songwriter from Ontario that should be huge in the States. I don’t understand it. This song is so catchy and smart. All of his songs are. We ran across him years ago at a fest North of Toronto and everyone knew all the words to his songs except for us. Now I do, too.
5. “Tiptoe Spider,” Ray Bonneville – Like Steve James, Corey Harris and Alvin Youngblood Hart, Ray Bonneville is one of my guitar heroes. He flips the groove on this song so effortlessly. He owns his timing. Incredible. He tours solo and it sounds like a whole band. He’s been a huge inspiration.
6. “Carey,” Joni Mitchell — What can I say? “Blue” may be my favorite album of all time. That is all.
7. “Across the Great Divide,” The Band — My mom listened to the self-titled Band album a ton when I was a kid. It’s a very big part of who I am as a musician. I bought the album years later thinking I had never heard it before and immediately knew every word to every song. These guys are drenched in the roots of American music and they tie it all together to make such a unique sound.
8. “Oye Mi Tres Montuno,” Cachao & Julio Gutierrez — I spent some time in Cuba studying Tres when I was younger. I’ve loved cuban music for a long time and try to inject some of that rhythm into my guitar playing. I could listen to these records all day long. The musicianship is staggering.
9. “The Birdwatcher,” Vulfpeck – These guys are so much fun. Totally infectious spirit. Great songs. Great musicians.
10. “You Can Never Hold Back Spring,” Tom Waits — This is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. Perfect for March. I could make 20 of these lists with all Tom Waits songs.
11. “Summertime in New Orleans,” Anders Osborne — Love his album, “Coming Down”. Raw, spontaneous, intimate and soulful.
12. “Rirongere,” Oliver Mtukudzi — I’ve been listening to Oliver for a long time. Beautiful melodies, rhythms and writing.
13. “New Morning,” Bob Dylan — This is today’s Dylan pick. Tomorrow it’ll be “Joey,” next day, “Chimes of Freedom.”
14. “Didn’t It Rain,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe — Wow! Any singer, guitar player or performer has so much to learn from Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She’s a monster! Such a fierce presence. More great gospel music. Rosetta and Louis Jordan were both instrumental in the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll.
JOSHUA DAVIS: THE LOCAL SPINS GUEST PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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