The song “Sonoma Sunset,” takes its name from Sonoma County in Southern California, a place where both Musselwhite and Davies lived for a number of years.

“Movin’ & Groovin’,” is a swing tune that was influenced in part because of Davies’ roots in Southern California, where she says there has always been an ebb and flow of musicians between the west coast state and Texas. She acknowledges that like many blues players from Southern California, the swinging style of blues sometimes infuses her own music.

“I toured with Albert (Collins) for three years, and he was from Texas. Austin and (in particular) Houston, where Albert was from, were big blues scenes at the time. The Texas players have really been one of the biggest influences as far as my playing goes,” says Davies, who toured with Collins from 1988-91.

“Thinking about the rhythm section (for “Movin’ & Groovin’”), we had Rod Carey and Per Hanson, who is known as the shuffle king. To grab onto any kind of a shuffle with those two guys, is an opportunity that I didn’t want to let go of,” she says.

In talking to Debbie Davies, it becomes obvious that she learned just as much from Albert Collins, the man, as she learned from the mentoring she received as a musician. “(I learned) mostly how much grace the man had under fire, when he was under pressure and under a lot of duress. Albert was just so amazing. I just really absorbed a lot, seeing how kind he was to people, how he functioned, and put his best foot forward on stage no matter what he had been through all day. People (who attend the shows and promoters) don’t know how little sleep he might have had, or that maybe he had a flat tire, but the show had to go on. That is mostly what I learned from Albert,” says Davies, before adding, “He was treated really rotten at many times during his life, but seeing him come out with the artistry and sensitivity that he had, it made an everlasting impression on me.”

As one might expect, those three years were also spent absorbing a lot about blues music. Davies recalls, “Most of the guys in the band were twenty years my senior, and they were the real deal. It was like walking through a door, and into their world. I got to hear all of their stories and how they moved through the world--how they handled things.  Musically, it was the most powerful band that I ever played with. It was quite a trip when I stepped into that situation. It was a dream that came true. I wanted to have the opportunity to tour with one of my blues guitar idols. We all fantasize about that, but I really got to do it and I am grateful. I never, ever take that for granted.”

Davies is also grateful for the time she spent touring with Maggie Mayall & the Cadillacs, an all female blues band that was formed in 1986. In addition to their own tours, the band also opened for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.  Davies who had just moved from Northern California back to Los Angeles, because in her words, “I wanted to see if I could swim in the big pond again,” found that it was an exciting time to be a blues artist in the City of Angels.