News

A forthcoming release from Stand Up! Records will shed some light on Dick Davy, one of the more unexpected figures of ’60s stand-up comedy.

Presenting…Dick Davy attempts to fill in the gaps around an unusual comic who recorded some unusual material under unusual circumstances in the mid-to-late ’60s. You’re a Long Way from Home, Whitey (1966) and Stronger Than Dirt (1967), both released by Columbia Records, capture a witty performer with a folksy Southern drawl offering Will Rogers-esque, progressive-for-the-time observations on race in America. That Whitey was produced by legendary A&R man John Hammond (who played a role in signing Billie Holiday, Pete Seeger, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to the label) is enough of a head-turner; even wilder is its engaged audience at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, one of the most prominent American venues for Black performers.

So, to borrow a weathered phrase from the profession, what’s the deal with Dick Davy? “When you hear his record, if you don’t see a photo of him, you think, ‘This is a Southern black gentleman from the ’60s,’ Stand Up! founder Dan Schlissel told The Second Disc in an interview earlier this year. “In fact, he was a white guy from New York, the son of a rabbi. And he just was really kind of swept up with the Students for a Democratic Society and the Freedom Riders. He was really into social justice, so he decided to start a persona, and nobody knew this until after he died, for the most part…Not a big name, but a real interesting story. The jokes are dated, but they have a charm to them.”

But even that’s only part of the story. Presenting…Dick Davy offers a look at the man through stand-up excerpts (and even some music) recorded before and after those two Columbia albums. Jason Klamm of the Comedy on Vinyl podcast produces this set and also pens some affecting, personal liner notes about the mystery behind the mirth. The package also features cover art designed by Tony Millionaire along with rare photos and ephemera.

The Second Disc will have more to share from Klamm and Schlissel closer to the release date on September 5, when the album will be available to order from Stand Up! Records. In the meantime, pore over the track list below.

Presenting…Dick Davy (Stand Up! Records, 2025)

1. Evening Shade, Arkansas
2. If I’d Know’d…
3. The Newspapers
4. The Bar-Mitzvah Dude Ranch
5. Litterbug
6. It Ain’t Easy
7. Used Car
8. McCarthy and Kennedy
9. Matzoh Ball Trip
10. The Draft
11. Evening Shade