With 'What Happens Next,' Davy Knowles wants to be a songwriter who plays guitar

During blues guitarist Davy Knowles' gig on Nov. 5 at Vegetable Buddies in South Bend, there's an almost certain chance that he will play one of his signature songs, "Outside Woman Blues."

It's more than just a highlight of his sets with his power trio. It helps place him at the furthest right spot on the blues timeline.

In terms of that song, the chronology begins in 1930, when Paramount Records released "Outside Woman Blues," by a mysterious and compelling musician possibly named Joe Sheppard. The man often changed his name, hoping to throw adversaries and law enforcement off his trail.

At that particular date, he called himself Blind Joe Reynolds. Although the original version will never be surpassed in clarity, brevity and intensity, the song has transmogrified several times.

Reynolds was actually still alive and performing when Cream remade the song on the album "Disraeli Gears" in 1967. The originator had already started playing an electric guitar like his English counterparts, but he died just before he could receive royalties.

Still, Cream's rendition -- a couple of botched lyrics notwithstanding -- is a thrilling psychedelic romp. Since then, the song has factored into the repertoires of rock bands such as Atlanta Rhythm Section as well as countless blues artists.

Knowles contends that his role is to continue bringing the music forward. His own concert performances of "Outside Woman Blues" can involve slap-bass, funky drums and a bunch of lead guitar. The man who called himself Reynolds was an iconoclast and firebrand, according to blues scholars. He surely wouldn't mind other musicians messing around with his composition.

"I've been playing that song since I was 14, because I loved the riff," Knowles says by telephone from a tour stop in Plymouth, Mass. "Back then, I was doing more of a copy (of Cream). Now that I've played it so many times, I'm careful not to copy even my own version, careful not to repeat myself. I'm always trying something new with it."

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Knowles consistently tries new ideas in his own songwriting and studio recordings as well. His current tour is in support of a brand new album, "What Happens Next." The album was recorded during the early stages of the pandemic, but Knowles delayed its release until touring prospects were brighter.

"We've been sitting on it for about a year, so it does feel good to finally get it out into the open and play these songs live," Knowles says. "It's a strange feeling, but a lovely one. I'm 34 now, and the last time I was off the road for this long, I was 19."

Knowles was born on the Isle of Man. The island's proximity to both England and Northern Ireland means that Knowles carries subtle but distinctive influences from these cultures as well as from Black American musicians.

A useful point of comparison is the music of Irish bluesman Rory Gallagher, who happens to be a big favorite of Knowles'. The style is blues, but there's a waft of island accent underneath.

"You can hear it in the inflections in his playing. It's almost like he's playing a fiddle tune — a jig or a reel," Knowles says. "It was just part of his DNA. Some of his ornaments really came from fiddle music."

As Knowles ages out of the "young sharpshooter" era of his career, he's zeroing in on the nuances of songwriting and singing. His series of videos called "Kitchen Sessions" pointedly emphasizes the song and the vocal over the guitar.

"Guitar players can use solos as a bit of a crutch," Knowles says." I've been guilty of it too."

He points to Mark Knopfler as someone who balances all the components.

"With him, you can't separate the song and the guitar. They're vital to each other," Knowles says. "With this new album, I wanted to be a songwriter who plays guitar rather than a guitarist who tries to write songs. I feel like you can shake a tree and a million great guitar players will come down."   

In concert

• Who: Davy Knowles

• Where: Vegetable Buddies, 129 N. Michigan St., South Bend

• When: 9 p.m. Nov. 5

• Cost: $25

• For more information: Call 574-232-0954 or visit buddiesdtsb.com