artist Apollo Votary

Apollo Votary is about music, a vision, and a calling. It starts with the name: ‘Apollo’ for the god of music and ‘Votary’ which means a dedicated follower.

Synergy in music seems to be missing these days. The magic of Apollo Votary’s music is that it’s not just the language of the soul; it’s the language of the collective soul.

It’s like a blast of fresh air when you hear these six exceptional musicians get down to the business of performing these sophisticated, well crafted songs and lyrics.

Guitarist/songwriter Jay Davis had a vision. It started as a persistent little voice inside him. He’d had a two decade-long absence from the professional music world, where his work as a construction superintendent and helping to raise a young family took the spotlight. By 2003 his marital status had changed. He bought a new guitar and began writing songs. “It was like a calling: “Time to get back on track,” says Davis. In 2008, he ran into his old friend Derek Mason, who had just opened a studio. “He invited me to start recording my songs. Just for the fun of it,” says Davis. Many months later, the ‘fun of it’ was a CD’s worth of material, mixed and mastered. The two had produced something far beyond what either expected, and Jay Davis needed to do more than just record a CD of his music. He needed to perform the music live.

“This sounds obvious, but to perform songs live you have to have a band,” says Davis. “I had the name Apollo Votary in mind. Playing the tunes, though, would require some serious talent, and, as it turned out, it would take fourteen months of auditions to form the band.”

“There was no shortage of musicians responding to the call. After a full dance program of two steps forward, one step back, bassist Rick Reubart became the first Votary. A monster of a player, Rick is solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. Don Lowe, a former jazz/fusion drummer won the post over twenty-one other applicants. He’s played everything from country music to big band jazz. Apollo Votary’s music combines all the styles that he loves to play. Vocalist Mike Garand won awards as the lead in a chorale performance at Lincoln Center. He puts his own spin to our songs, is always prepared, and is very serious about his music. Keyboard player Michael Docherty is a natural musician. He mixes it up with the band; keeping everyone on their toes. He’s quite the character, and his fans love him. Trent Freeman rounds out the line-up on violin. The Berklee School of Music graduate combines cerebral thinking, authoritative playing and a great sense of humor, making him a perfect fit.

“What are your five favourite songs of all time? My mission is that one of Apollo Votary’s songs will be on your list,” says Davis.

Apollo Votary released their debut CD Jones Rising in the summer of 2011. The lyrics for the songs “Desperation Quiet”, “Day Meets Done”, “If Time Stood Still” and “Resolution” all reference ‘Generation Jones’* which has several connotations, including a large anonymous generation — a ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ competitiveness and the slang word “jones” or “jonesing” — meaning a yearning or craving. Jay Davis is the youngest sibling in a family of baby boomers. He can identify. It is said that Jonesers were given huge expectations as children in the 1960s, and then were confronted with a different reality as they came of age in the 1970s and 1980s, leaving them with a certain unrequited, jonesing quality.

“Many of us don’t think of ourselves as Baby Boomers,” says Davis. We are more 'Generation Jones.’ And … it’s time to get [back] on track. Hence, Jones Rising.”

www.apollovotary.com