Anthony David

Anthony David began his music career by writing ‘Part Of My Life’ for India.Arie’s debut album ‘Acoustic Soul’, and she reciprocates by duetting with him on ‘Words’, a song they co-wrote for his brilliant new album, The Red Clay Chronicles.

Despite having no record release outside the US until now, Anthony has performed extensively in the UK and Europe over the past 18 months, with appearances at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, London’s Jazz Café and Pizza Express, and dates in Paris, Stockholm and Berlin.

The 16-track album includes three bonus cuts from Anthony’s debut album (unreleased outside the US), including ‘50/50 Love’, a lovers rock track on which fellow Atlanta resident Julie Dexter guests. Guitarist Earl Klugh also features on one track, ‘Smoke One With Earl’.

This guy is an amazing live performer. He will be very busy in the UK, Germany, Holland, France, Belgium and Sweden during November, so do try to catch him live. Early confirmed dates include London’s Jazz Café on November 3 and the Southport Weekender on November 4.

Savannah, Georgia, was David’s home before he moved to Atlanta to jumpstart his music career. Shortly after arriving, he befriended another young, aspiring artist –her name was India.Arie. “India was about the first person I met when I got to Atlanta. I saw her at The Underground and she looked cool, so we started talking, and I learned that we both liked the same artists, and we began sharing music. We were friends for 3 years before I even knew she could sing.” Through his friendship with India, he found an outlet to express his thoughts and emotions in songwriting. “India had been playing the guitar, so I bought one and started messing around with it.” David went on to write the song Part Of My Life for India’s critically acclaimed and multi-Grammy nominated debut album Acoustic Soul.

“It wasn’t until I heard some Bill Withers songs that I got the inspiration to really try singing and then I sort of found my vocal stride. I’ve written stories all my life, so this is a continuation of that; I am a singer/songwriter first, I pick up instruments, learn ‘em and make songs with ‘em. While traveling around the country and Europe playing the last two years, I was able to soak up sounds from everywhere I went, which has had a big influence on this record. I’ve also learned so much about working in a studio the last few years that I was able to take a strong hold on the production of this record. I haven’t changed direction musically, I’ve just been able to grow and expand my sound.”

Many critics have indeed compared David to a modern-day Bill Withers, with his blues voice and the contemporary social issues he tackles in some of his songs, like the album title track about gentrification and rebuilding of the inner city, and the pushing out of long-time, low-income residents.

Anthony’s music is still an R&B and soul melting pot, and this time he called on his many friends in the Atlanta music community to lend a hand to his songs, including India, who features on a stunning duet Words, jazz guitarist Earl Klugh, Julie Dexter (the lovers’ rock tune 50/50 Love), Keisha Jackson and Jiva’s Khari Simmons. “It’s another ride through the rhythms that I like, but this time with a lot more emphasis on beats. I enlisted the help of every Atlanta musician I could get a hold of, from keys to horns and everything in between. I wanted it to represent my scene or at least my perspective of the scene and let everybody else hear what kind of flavor and diversity we have here in the South”.