I have had the pleasure of knowing Morgan Davis for many years now, thanks to James Doran of Choose The Blues Productions shows and continuing to see him on his annual solo touring through Ontario. A character of the Blues music for sure, he is real, true and a piece of the Blues story. You can’t get more than that. We are always so lucky and honoured to have him play here. It’s going to be another deep dive into the history of the Blues with him on Thursday, June 12 at The Cove, 5-8 pm on the patio. Here it all for real. Details and reservations here: web link

Seamus Cowan: You have been performing music for a long time now. I know you don’t like to be called a legend but wouldn’t you say that you have a good handle on things by now? I think you transcend the level and are now conveying that pure message of music to people. Do you agree that it’s a part of you now?

Morgan Davis: I have made my living playing the blues for 54 years, and consider myself a very lucky man to be doing what I love for this löng a time. I have seen many changes over the years, some good, some (like Covid) devastating, but live music will always remain an essential, shared human experience in almost every culture around the world.
I consider myself a student of the blues and have never stopped learning more about the music I love. In my travels around Canada, the U.S. and Europe I have seen how strongly this music has touched and influenced so many people, transcending language and culture with its universal appeal.
Every performance is unique and depends on my mood, the audience and the venue. I have had wonderful shows where there are only a handful of folks in the room….in fact, I prefer the smaller venues to huge festival stages. Truly connecting with the audience makes a great night for me.

Q: Ever since you have played The Cove, you have asked about fishing. I think this is a happy place of yours. Does it take you to a place where you can escape and simplify it all?

Morgan: In the past, I often travelled with my canoe secured to the roof of my vehicle. When touring Ontario I always have my fishing rods with me and try to fish as much as possible on days off. I have old friends from Sudbury to Napanee that I wet a line with whenever possible and yes, fishing to me is similar to playing music, in that the experience calls for immersing yourself in the activity to the point where the rest of the world "goes away". Fishing demands that you concentrate on everything from the sky and weather to the conditions of the water to the bottom of the lake. All the problems of the world disappear for a while and it is a very focused and rewarding place for the mind to rest.

Q: Throughout all of your experiences performing music, what would you say are some of your most memorable times on stage? Was it the excitement of the collaboration and the clash of the creativity that made it so great?

Morgan: My most memorable times on stage ? In the early years, playing with David Wilcox was an amazing experience, just listening to his tone, his passion, and phrasing set a very high bar to aim for. When Colin Linden played with me way back when he was a teenager, his energy and unbridled love of the blues was infectious and inspiring. I did not learn "licks" and such from them, it was more about attitude and delivering your best performance. Living in Toronto, I was so fortunate to see all the greats who toured Ontario back in the 70's. At the Colonial Tavern, I watched and met Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, (along with Hubert Sumlin, one of my favorite guitar players) Sunnyland Slim, James Cotton, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. They all played for 6 nights and often a matinee where if you were lucky, you could sit in. All of these blues greats were so generous, approachable and friendly. There was no "star" attitude. These were humble folks who dedicated their lives to the music, no matter how difficult it was to make their living in an oppressive, racist society.
I was also lucky enough to see and meet some of the early blues recording artists like Booker White, Son House, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Yank Rachel, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Robert Lockwood Jr. Johnny Shines was kind enough to sit under a tree with me at a blues fest on Toronto Island and show me how to play one of his songs.

After the Wolf passed away, my band was selected to back him up for a week at the now gone Pinetree Tavern on Queen St. Everyone showed up to jam - Colin Linden, Donny and Hock Walsh, Michael Pickett….what a blast it was to stand next to Hubert and listen to his unique style…a week I will never forget.

Q: Touring your music is as important as ever in the music business. Dare I say it’s the most important time ever to keep live music alive! You’re touring the Blues in Germany now and I know it’s fun to travel and connect with new folk, but how do you keep at it?

Morgan: My least favourite way to travel is flying. Whether it is to the west coast or Europe, I hate being packed in an uncomfortable seat with terrible food, etc, but when there is no other way to get to where you need to be, that is what you have to do. One of my favourite ways to tour is by train, and VIA Rail has an On-Board Entertainer program that I have been part of for 20 years. I have made 27 trips across the country playing three shows a day in exchange for a deluxe sleeper cabin, three great meals a day, and of course a ticket to the west coast, where I rent a car and do my touring, then return back home on the train.

Q: Will so much that is changing with our technology, where do you see yourself fitting into the new landscape in the near future? I feel as though your sound has a time stamp of soil and character that can’t be stripped or manipulated or imitated. We are honoured to have you back at The Cove on Thursday, June 12!

Morgan: The changes in technology have not appealed to me at all. I grew up in an analog world with knobs, levers, and dials. I am totally alienated by this new world of touch screens, and the words "user friendly" are meaningless to me.I do have a website set up by an old friend and fan who is a graphic artist and has been very helpful to me over the years, also designing album covers. I use the computer now for emails and that is all. I do not use a cell phone, have never taken a "selfie", I do not use social media, am not concerned with collecting "friends" or "friending". I post my gigs on my website and that is ALL I do for promotion, which these days I know creates a BIG handicap. I simply have no desire to enter that ugly, difficult to navigate digital world. The hype about bringing people closer together in our "global village" is false. I feel that social media is alienating and separating people, isolating them more than ever before. I want no part of that and can happily live my life without these silly, expensive diversions.

I still use a 1968 Traynor tube amp which I found at a yard sale near Sudbury for $50 many years ago. I continue to travel, perform and relate to people in my "old school" ways and it still gets me by somehow. Posted: May 31, 2025 Originally Published: May 30, 2025