54 | MAY 2 • 2024 
J
N

D

iffering contemporary 
musical directions 
have made a major 
impact on the life of 
Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, 
whose guitar playing and 
singing took off at Michigan 
State University in the 1990s 
as she worked to graduate 
with majors in anthropology 
and environmental policy.
Contemporary bands, 
personal friendships, marriage, 
religious commitments and 
community participation 
resulted from people she got to 
know through music.

A recent recording, Tabula 
Rasa for Birdman Records, 
was made in her home studio 
and private Hamtramck 
studios. It was performed 
and then released April 19 by 
one of the groups with which 
she works, Infinite River, and 
is set for introduction May 
11 during a release party 
at Third Man Records in 
Detroit.
The event is being 
supplemented with a display 
of images made by artist 
Leon Dickey as presented by 
Linda Dresner, whose former 

designer clothing store held 
Dickey’s work. The display 
will be up for two weeks after 
the event.
This is Infinite River’s 
third recording. The previous 
two were titled Prequel and 
Space Mirror and were very 
much geared to instruments 
and drawing out emotions of 
the various listeners.
“Depending on the music, 
I experience different feelings 
I can call upon as I listen,” 
said Davidson, 51, who often 
performs with her husband, 
Ethan Daniel Davidson, a 

part-time singer-songwriter 
who plays the guitar and 
bass in more Americana and 
country styles. The two met 
because of her singing on a 
recording he made in 2004. 
“I definitely feel 
uncomfortable when there’s 
no music at an event,” she 
said. “When I walk into a 
room of people, music is 
the first thing I hope for, 
and it’s a bonus when the 
music is interesting and good 
regardless of the styles.”
Tabula Rasa, identified as 
a prog-rock vinyl recording, 

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

New recording from 
Gretchen Gonzales 
Davidson to debut May 11.

‘Psychedelic 
andIntense’

SUZANNE CHESSLER 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Gretchen 
Gonzales 
Davidson

