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Phil Healey (Spooner’s Blues Club)
“Fabulous night; Best this year. Dave had a fantastic rapport with the audience and the whole group transmitted a convivial atmosphere. Well done and thanks for bringing them to Deal."
Andrew Pook (39 steps, review of Broadstairs Blues Bash show)
The Thirty-Nine Steps was privileged to host a superb and highly versatile musician. His command particularly of the ragtime and spiritualist genre, leads to a holistic, motivating and highly enjoyable set. Dave’s easy-going style and undoubted matter-of-fact talent allows him to easily involve the audience, culminating, not surprisingly, in a joint rendition of ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’.
Iain Patience, Blues in the South
Dave Ferra – Ain’t no hand me down
First things first; this is a wonderful acoustic album. Ferra's second outing, following the critically acclaimed debut 'Bad Luck Blues', 'Ain't No Hand Me Down' again features slippery slide work, hairy Harp and vibrant vocals in a 12-track CD of about half and half self-written material and great covers. From the opening track, Son House's old 'Preaching Blues' through a dash of Taj Mahal ('The Loving In My Baby's Eyes') to Eric Bibb's evergreen, 'Where The Green Grass Grows', this album flows effortlessly with several of Ferra's own interspersed compositions oozing quality and style with a strongly rhythmic ragtimey feel throughout. Ferra's own 'Meet Me Down The Alley' and 'Tailor Made Woman' both stand out as well-honed, skillful songs classily and clearly capturing the essence of the ragtime era. This is a trick few can pull-off with clarity - Roy Book Binder, springs to mind. Ferra's barely half his age but already seems to have the knack. Positively recommended. I, for one, already look forward to this guy's next offering.
Blues in Britain
Bad Luck Blues CD
The CD opens with the title track which features some tasty slide with a big full sound. Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘I don’t know’ gets a good groove going with nice harp whilst ‘Few short lines’ really drives along. The original ‘A little time with you’ is a ragtime piece with good lyrics. A couple of less known tunes by Skip James and Blind Blake caught the ear. ‘Look down the road’ features harp and ‘Early this morning’ is spot on for style with great guitar, really liked this! ‘Pony Blues’ has more good slide and harp is to the fore on Jimmy Reed’s ‘Good Lover’
Dave has a strong, clear voice and his guitar work is really good and well recorded. There are no weak tracks here and this set is representative of Dave’s gigs, so get along and see him and buy the CD – Recommended!