From the first time he hit the stage back in the 90's as the lead singer for the Bay Area's roots n' blues flavored band The Loved Ones who were on HighTone Records, to his melodic vocals intertwining with the hybrid electronica/funk music of Honeycut who were on DJ Shadow's hip-hop collective Quannum Projects, to the soft-pop stylings he is crafting today as a solo artist, Bart Davenport has traversed a varied musical landscape over the years, cultivating his own distinctive vocal style along the way.
"I’m like a thrift store vintage artist in the sense that I like taking things from the past and put them in the context of a new song. I don’t want to be a retro purist, I just like to borrow when it seems like they would be fun to use. I’m a purist in art but I’m not a purist in period music. It’s just that it’s a fine line. I will literally write a chord progression that sounds like Bert Bacharach and I will play it with Johnny Marr’s guitar tone and then sing over it like a man trying to be Karen Carpenter. So right there, that’s 3 different decades. So yeah, I am influenced by old music but I’m not trying to make like one thing. The new record Physical World (on Lovemonk and Burger Records) occupies this space between soft rock and power pop."
I started photographing Bart with his LA band (Jessica Espeleta on Bass, Nathan Shafer on keyboard and Andres Renteria on drums) who were performing at the amazing Historical Monument #157 in Lincoln Heights. The next day, I followed him around his Highland Park neighborhood on a sunny afternoon. Bart graciously allowed me to document him for this series giving us a little peek into his world.
Like his name sake, Motorcycle Hall of Famer Bart Markel, Bart Davenport is fearless and intuitive, carving out his own path with a passion and fervor only see in those who dedicate their lives to their craft. It takes a true Rock n' Roller to forge his own path, tipping the hat to the greats that have come before but never looking back.
For the love of music,
Julie Pavlowski Green
September 27, 2014
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