Coco Davis - Old Haunts

- available on 180g LP & gatefold digipak compact disc

American/New Zealand vocalist Coco Davis performs a vintage repertoire of noir-blues with a sensibility informed by cabaret, surrealism and cinema.

Shorn of the musical cliches that beset the blues genre, her debut album “Old Haunts” is one for storytellers, an imaginative realm of runaways, night-owls and badmen. This is a song-cycle coloured by slide guitar, paired with synthesizer and vibraphone, drenched in classic reverbs.

The album was arranged & produced by Tom Rodwell. Nick Bollinger, Radio New Zealand: “Old Haunts is smart, spooky, funny, and at times, funky as anything...The musical settings range from dark grungy funk to shimmering, space age lounge.”

1. Last Kind Words Blues - by Geeshie Wiley, Elvie Thomas (performed by Geeshie Wiley)
2. Cemetery Blues - by Spencer Williams, S. Laney (Bessie Smith)
3. Devil’s Gonna Get You - by Porter Grainger (Bessie Smith)
4. Haunted House Blues - by J.C. Johnson (Bessie Smith)
5. In My Girlish Days - by Minnie Lawlers (Memphis Minnie)
6. Blowtop Blues - by Leonard Feather (Lil’ Green)
7. I’d Rather See Him Dead - by Minnie Lawlers (Memphis Minnie)
8. Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair - by George Brooks (Bessie Smith)
9. See, See Rider - by Ma Rainey (Ma Rainey)

All songs produced and arranged by Tom Rodwell and Colleen Davis.

Recorded and mixed on one-inch tape by Marco Nelson at One Inch Studio, London (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7) and digitally by Josh Lynn and Damian Golfinopolous at Thinkt Studio, Auckland. Mastered by Steve McGough at Stebbing Recording Centre, Auckland.

Design by Rachel Gutek. Photography by Liz Clarkson.

FEATURING: Colleen Davis - lead & backing vox, synthesizer, rhythm guitar Tom Rodwell - electric and acoustic guitars, stomp-box, percussion, keyboards, backing vox Art Terry - piano - (4, 7) Damian Horner-Pausma - shakers, objects, kanjira, drum kit (1, 4, 7) Jeff Henderson - baritone and tenor sax, marching drum John Bell - vibraphone (6, 9) Josh Lynn - keyboards (7, 9) Marco Nelson - (floor tom (7)