Governer Davis wowed the 20060 Indy Jazz Fest crowd by playing the guitar with his mouth, an unusual talent. (Danese Kenon for The Star)

Governer Davis has led his band in shows from Indy to Scandinavia. (Danese Kenon for The Star)

Click here to watch the Off the Record video with Governor Davis

Veteran house musician and jam leader Governor Davis' smile is familiar at nightclubs across the state. The Muncie resident is currently featured at the Slippery Noodle Inn and Mugshots, but has gigs lined up in Fishers, Kokomo, Lafayette and Terre Haute with his Blues Ambassadors.

An adopted Hoosier, Davis was born in Chicago almost 60 years ago. His musical education was rooted in both earthly and heavenly delights: The elder Governor (a name given to the firstborn son in each generation of his family) was a juke joint pianist; his church organist, Aunt Ollie, guided his gospel instruction. It's a dichotomy audiences still see at work when Davis takes the stage to play blues standards and originals on a guitar emblazoned with a cross.

The guitarist didn't set out to have a music career, but people in his life kept pushing him in that direction. Davis' father as well as his mentor, band leader Cash McCall, told him that his singing voice could take him places. A scholarship offer from Vincennes University proved them right. Davis taught himself to play the guitar while there and moved on to finish another degree at Ball State University, where he worked until his retirement.

Although he and other musicians "couldn't help but be influenced" by Muddy Waters, "the man who electrified the blues in Chicago," Davis is a quintessentially Midwestern player in that he is influenced by everything from acoustic Delta blues to Chicago blues to rock blues and plays it all. The acoustic sets he plays at the Slippery Noodle with band mate Steve Robbins might be heavy on lesser-known blues classics, while a crowd at Buffalo Wild Wings in Kokomo might demand more commercial fare. In those situations the populist Governor will say, "OK, we'll play 'Mustang Sally.'."

Pleasing crowds is how Davis became one of a small number of local night club musicians to make a living at it. He and Robbins formed The Blues Ambassadors in 1991 and the band has played thousands of juke joints and music festivals since, even taking Davis' brand of blues to Scandinavia along the way. He hasn't made a fortune, mind you, but just paying the bills is all right when you're doing what you love. "It's better than working in a factory or a warehouse," Davis said with a smile.

Maybe having the blues ain't so bad after all.

Blues Jam With: Governor Davis & The Blues Ambassadors

When: Thursdays, 9 p.m.
Where: Mugshots, 6525 N. College Ave.
Tickets: Free.
Info: (317) 251-6985, www.governordavisandthebluesambassadors.com.