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David Poe
David Poe

In the eleven original songs of his self-titled debut on ulfTone music, David Poe offers incisive lyrics, eclectic arrangements, and downright catchy tunes.

From the boho bossa nova of "Apartment" to the loose, rocking "Star," from the hushed vocal and mournful strings of "Silver Eyelashes" to the calm but pointed urban protest song "Cop," Poe's material is enhanced by the deft production of the semi-legendary T-Bone Burnett (who's worked with Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, Counting Crows, and the Wallflowers, among many others). The understated arrangements are essential to the tension-and-release of "Blue Glass Fall," the tenderness of "Moon," and the deceptive exuberance of "Reunion."

David Poe was raised in Dayton, Ohio: the birthplace of American aviation, and a cradle of both Midwest funk (Ohio Players, Roger "Zapp" Troutman) and Midwest indie rock (Guided By Voices, the Breeders, the late lamented Brainiac). Following an early period of classical training, Poe played in a number of garage bands and gained some early experience in the studio.

"My band put out a record while we were in high school. I remember hearing it on the local radio station, in between 'Rebel Rebel' and 'Hey Jude.' After that, all things seemed possible."

David earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio but continued to pursue music all the while. In 1991, he was part of an acoustic duo which played a show at C.B.'s Gallery, the performance space adjacent to C.B.G.B.'s in New York. When David moved to Manhattan the following year, he landed a steady gig as the Gallery's house sound man.

"I'd never actually done [house sound] before, so I learned…fast! I began to think more about tone. The music was acoustic and downtown. My co-workers were aspiring photgraphers, writers, visual artists, film makers. We were all bent on doing extraordinary things and surrounded by musical pioneers: Chris Whitley, Marc Ribot, Vernon Reid, Medeski Martin & Wood. It was a fertile time."

David met drummer Sim Cain in 1994, and they formed a duo called The Christ Brothers ("because we both looked like Jesus at the time"), playing the downtown clubs during Sim's hiatus from touring and recording with the Rollins Band. The percussionist became an invaluable collaborator and close friend. With Cain drumming and pro- ducing and ex-John Cale sideman John Abbey on upright bass, David recorded a six-track EP, Glass Suit (7-Twenty Records), featuring stripped-down but effective versions of such songs as "Apartment," "Cop," and "Bloody," dubbed by its composer "the sick joke that everybody gets."

1996 was a busy year: Poe was the opening act on Lisa Loeb's US tour (he's also opened shows for Bob Dylan, 10,000 Maniacs, Jonathan Richman, and Ron Sexsmith), and produced indie records for Melissa Sheehan (Kneel) and Jennifer Jackson (Love Lane).

Shortly after his signing, Poe met producer/performer T-Bone Burnett in New York, where the latter was composing music for a Public Theater production of the Sam Shepard play, The Tooth Of Crime. Favorably impressed by Glass Suit, Burnett offered to produce David's next effort.

"Pre-production for the record took place in T-Bone's rented room. We talked history, we talked about the future, and we played a lot of guitar. He sang some of his songs, I sang some of mine, and we wrote one song together [for the play]."

David Poe was recorded at The Magic Shop in New York City, with Poe (on guitar, organ, piano, and the old-school Mellotron-like keyboard called the Chamberlain) leading a core band comprised of Sim Cain (drums), John Abbey (bass), and Marc Ribot (guitar, who's played with Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and the Lounge Lizards). The sessions were engineered by Susan Rogers, whose credits include sessions with David Byrne and Prince. Much of the recording was done live, and Poe describes the results as "open and vibey and full of mistakes." In his first trip to California, David oversaw the overdubs of horns and strings for the album at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.

"This record covers a lot of ground. The tones are natural and warm, so you play it loud without damaging your ears. The songs are about everything that's happened to me so far. The recordings are about where I want to go."

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