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Bishop Davidson (Duo from Nashville, TN) with Daniela De Sousa opening

The WindHorse Theatre
Eustis, FL

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Bishop Davidson (Duo from Nashville, TN) with Daniela De Sousa opening

The Musicians (Bios Below)

MJ Bishop
WT Davidson

Opening: Daniela De Sousa

With nearly 14 years on the road as an acoustic enchantress, MJ Bishop did not feel a pressing need to hook up with yet another songwriter and begin booking afresh as a brand new duo. Neither did WT Davidson comfortably ensconced in Nashville and resting on his laurels (cuts by Ray Charles, Crystal Gayle, and Michael Johnson, et al.) feel particularly inclined to leave his cozy perch for a brand new batch of venues and an entirely new adventure in writing and playing. Yet, after meeting in a smoky backroom song circle in Nashville, the two seemed almost incapable of continuing the status quo, and found themselves drawn together. MJ's evocative, yearning Americana, influenced by everyone from Hank Williams to Patty Griffin, meets WT's often quirky, jazz/blues-infused sensibility with an engaging sparkle that produces an entirely new entity and musical starting point. When performing their pre-existing repertoire, new tempos, new grooves, and energy emerge. When collaborating on new songs, both find themselves writing, singing and playing in ways which they previously hadn't conceived.

On stage, Bishop Davidson produce what Hunter Allen describes as "a great sound and a great vibe." MJ and WT have experienced a serendipitous meeting which is yielding more than a new act to take on the road it's a new way of approaching their craft, something hard to pin down, yet sensed by an audience with real delight. They really like playing together, and every show is a new chance at that spontaneous chemistry that makes music worth playing, and worth hearing.

Biography
This Nashville-based duo comprised of MJ Bishop and WT Davidson combines MJ's 10+ years of experience as a folk enchantress on the open road with WT's checkered past as a performing songwriter in and around Nashville, from the Bluebird Café to the Exit Inn, and points east and west. The resulting dynamic and engaging duo ranges from highly irreverent to seriously heartrending. And then there's this: MJ and WT genuinely enjoy playing together.

MJ hails from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and, after spending 30 years in Seattle, moved to Nashville in the spring of 2010 to further hone her songwriting skills and begin work on her fourth album. She continues to write in the Americana vein, her music being laced with the sweet, familiar melodies of folk. WT was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, where he cut his teeth playing at the Mill and the Sanctuary while still in high school. His influences include traditional jazz artists like Jack Teagarden and Fats Waller, bluesmen like Bill Broonzy, and the older and more soulful country of the Merles Travis and Haggard. Then there's Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, a raft of Motown and Stax records and of course a young awakening to the Beatles, which set it all in motion. After moving to Nashville in 1974, WT has had cuts by Ray Charles, Crystal Gayle, Michael Johnson, Gary Stewart and Ray Stevens, among others.

Instrumentation
MJ Bishop - Writes, Sings, plays acoustic guitar, accordion and snare drum
WT Davidson - Writes, Sings, plays acoustic guitar

Daniela De Sousa

Daniela de Sousa
Brazilian jazz singer and guitar player who grew up in the suburbs of Sao Paulo city exposed to the full gamut of Brazilian music and culture. She began playing the violao (nylon-stringed Brazilian guitar) at the age of thirteen and studied seminal contemporary Brazilian composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobin, Vinicius de Morais, Baden Powell as well as great Brazilian singers such as Elis Regina and Gal Costa. As a young teenager she began playing in bands and solo performances in small clubs, on the beach and popular street corner pubs called botecos.
At nineteen, Daniela moved to Connecticut where she became more acquainted with Americana music. In 2005, Daniela, with passion for the Brazilian rhythms, teamed up with Brazilian guitarist Marcus Giotto, bass player Jon Doll and percussionist Mary Gardner to form the Brazilian Project. Around the same time Daniela, together with Ukulele player and singer Laurie Kammer and percussionist Mary Gardner formed a trio called Ginger Tea. Ginger Tea came together to interpret an array of American folk songs as well as indie rock, reggae and anti-folk music. Both bands performed throughout the northeast Connecticut area until Daniela moved to Umatilla, Florida, where she now performs solo.
While Daniela's warm and groovy interpretations of classic Bossa Nova tunes, Forros and sambas pay homage to the Brazilian tradition, her sultry voice also showcases an eclectic selection of Americana music ranging from Bob Dylan to Modest Mouse.