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" Against the grain is a way of life. "
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By Norm Shaw
David Bowen has never known anything but a musician's life. The leader of the King Beez, the longtime house band at B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street, Bowen went to work as a musician immediately after he graduated from high school in the early 1970s. He's never stopped. "I learned to play one string on a guitar," he says with a laugh. "From there, I learned to play two strings. Then three. I learned one string at a time. After awhile, I could play all six." Those six strings have served him well. And the biggest payoff may be just around the corner. Bowen's art is about to be put on record for the first time. The debut release from the King Beez will be available by the end of the month. The title of the record, Against the Grain, defines what the King Beez have done, Bowen says. "At B.B.'s, we play for such a diverse audience," Bowen explains. "Sometimes we have to go against what a traditional blues band would do. We have to go a step further. There's a lot of tradition there, but there's more. So we say we're going against the grain." The record features the current lineup of the King Beez, which has been together for four years: Bowen on guitar and vocals; James Jackson on bass; Charles Campbell on sax and vocals; Lloyd Anderson on drums and vocals; Tom Clary on trumpet; and Solomon McDaniel on keyboards. The record features eight songs, seven of which are originals written by various members of the band. The creation of the record required more than just the creative input of all the members, it took hard-earned cash, too. The band decided a couple of years ago to make the record, but funding can be a problem for independent, self-released projects. The group decided to set aside part of their earnings every night for the record. "It was tough, but we had to do it," Bowen says. "A few times, like when we were snowed out or something, we'd pay ourselves out of the record fund, but in the end we funded the whole CD ourselves." Bowen says he is pleased with the results. "I'm the group's worst critic, but I think it's a really strong CD," Bowen says. "It has a lot of what people want to hear. It's well thought out, with good substance and structure." For now, Against the Grain will only be for sale at King Beez shows and the B.B. King Blues Club gift shop. Bowen believes they have a built-in audience with the crowds of tourists and regulars who pack B.B.'s. The night before the interview, Bowen and bandmates had played at Horseshoe Casino. In the first set, they played the CD straight through. "Last night it had a real good feeling," Bowen says. "I didn't see anybody leave while we were playing (the original songs)." The band plans to regularly incorporate the record into its shows. Producing the record is just the first step in getting a whole project rolling. The record is on the band's label, and a publishing company was formed for band members' songs. Bowen now will shop the CD and songs to major labels. This is a big step for Bowen, but not unexpected. He has, after all, been gearing for this virtually al his life. Bowen has toured with a variety of people in the past 25 years, including Johnny Taylor, Shirley Brown, Joe Simon and others. "In 1971, I played for $1.50 and a cheeseburger," he says. "I've always been a full-time musician, ever since high school. I started playing in the ninth grade and have played ever since. This is how I've supported myself and my family. I've come too far to turn around, and the last few years have been pretty good to me." Bowen now hopes the next few years will be even better. And with the release of Against the Grain coming very soon, he's definitely taken the right step.
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