Gina Davis
Field Notes
Independent
2022
Of all places, it was in my living room and in person that I first encountered the talent and sparkling personality of folk singer-songwriter Gina Davis. On September 30th, 2019, my wife and I hosted a dinner for friends, namely local folk musician Paul Bezooyen, his wife Catherine, and our mutual pals Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson – a.k.a. the Truth or Consequences, NM-based alt. folk duo, Flagship Romance. While on the road in Canada and the US, Davis had run into Fisher and Jackson, and mutual admiration and friendship subsequently formed. By chance, on that dinner date, they found themselves on Vancouver Island at the same time, cueing a reunion at my house. After dining, a song circle naturally broke out, with the assembled artists taking turns to play. Forgive my memory concerning exactly what Davis delivered. She certainly included songs by The Magnetic Fields and John Prine, and I vividly recall the manner in which she performed them was utterly spellbinding. Effervescent company off-mic, when singing, she was completely transformed, living every word and note with a quiet, steely intensity. Back then, the charming Davis had nothing recorded, so three years on, I’m pleased to welcome and report upon her long-awaited debut album, Field Notes.
Meaning a record of observations made by a researcher in ‘the field’ – in Davis’ case, referring to life, love, and the seasons – what a great album title Field Notes is. To that thematic end, it’s a half-hour collection of songs (including Blue Water Special, the closing instrumental) that are populated with some delightful, quirky and perky lyrical wordplay, these three examples being pretty representative:
Coffee on my trailer stoop / Fake eyelashes before noon / Tiny shorts and big hair too / Chalky wrists and sequined toe shoes (Down the Road)
Is it too early, to call you my sister? / Is it too early, to call this a love? / Too early, to make plans for tomorrow? / Well golly gosh gee I hope not (Too Early)
You tell us brilliant, witty little fables / Tallest stories at that old oak table / Don’t get us wrong, it seems you’re right where you belong / But oh, my oh, my oh / How we knew it all along (When You Least Expect)
A blend of wistful, sunny balladry and softly shuffling toe-tappers, all totally acoustic, Field Notes is an enchanting debut, at once accomplished and full of promise. As a skilled multi-instrumentalist and full-time music educator, it comes as no surprise how good it is, but the presence of three other brilliant multi-instrumentalists in Marc Atkinson (various instruments and backing vocals), Adrian Dolan (fiddle)– both of The Bills – and Ali Romanow (backing vocals) propel it to another level.
Atkinson also produced, mixed, and mastered Field Notes at his Hornby Island studio, The Barn. He’s crafted a pristine sound with Davis’ sweet vocal upfront, and the overall result gently and elegantly conveys prototypical Canadian west coast folk music. And as the Comox Valley-based Davis puts it, her debut is the product of “thousands of hours of practice” and “3 million+ tiny decisions.” Still, she’ll undoubtedly be encouraged to hear that all the hard work and deliberation has yielded one of 2022’s loveliest albums.
Field Notes is now available on Bandcamp.
WEBSITE: https://www.ginadavismusic.com/