World Cafe Nashville: Devon Gilfillian, 'Here And Now'

As with many musical transplants recently, singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian has settled into Nashville to work on his craft. Originally from Morton, Pa., a small town outside of Philadelphia, he moved to Nashville in 2013, taking with him his love of R&B, blues and soul music. He quickly settled into a local blues band, where he wrote and recorded his own original songs. In the winter of 2016 he released his debut EP, an outstanding sampler of his soulful styles. There's a lot to like about Gilfillian's songs. From the swampy, bluesy soul of songs like "Shortcut" and "Travelin' Blues" to the expressive gospel influences of "Lucy," Gilfillian's musical muscle is tempered by his swagger and confidence.

"Here And Now," Gilfillian says, is an "Al Green-inspired groove tune about slowing life down and living in the moment." Captured at the Ten 4 Recording Company with his four-piece band, a three-piece horn section and three mighty backing singers, "Here And Now" showcases the promise of an exciting emerging R&B musician. He and the band mine a sticky groove, and Gilfillian dashes off a funky guitar solo. While the song does bring to mind some of those early Hi Records classics like "Love And Happiness" and "I'm Still In Love With You," Devon captures the essence of a young Robert Cray while bringing his own distinct voice to the song.

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