Originally out of Silver Spring, Maryland, Danny moved to Austin, Texas and cut his teeth on the Crawfish circuit playing with singer-pianist Marcia Ball. He then moved to Lafayette, LA and worked for a year with Zydeco king Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band with whom he recorded the Grammy Award winning Album, “I’m Here” in 1980. Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1981 he continued to freelance and eventually teamed up with the legendary singer and pianist Charles Brown.
Danny served as guitarist and musical director for Charles Brown from 1987 until Brown’s death in 1999. He has played on numerous CD’s and sessions with Charles Brown, Clifton Chenier, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Ruth Brown, Etta Jones, John Clayton, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wilson, Donald Fagen, Dr. John, Little Milton Campbell, John Hammond Jr. and many others
Danny is the featured guitarist on the Van Morrison produced John Lee Hooker album, “Don’t Look Back” which won two Grammy Awards – one for Best Traditional Blues Recording, and the other for Best Collaboration, Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker
He has played for President Clinton’s first Inaugural Ball, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, numerous jazz festivals throughout the US and Europe, several tours to New Zealand with great artists like Robben Ford, Charlie Musslewhite, Duke Robillard and Bettye LaVette. Television appearances include the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Danny wrote the film score to the Scott Silver directed motion picture ‘johns’ for which he and Charles Brown composed music, and for which he composed the title song, “The Promised Land.” The movie stars David Arquette, Lukas Haas and Keith David.
He keeps up a busy schedule touring and performing most recently with Tom Rigney, Barbara Morrison, Maria Muldaur and others. And he is presently teaching courses at The Jazzschool in Berkeley, California
Recent projects include:
Recording guitar for the new Taj Majal CD “Savoy.” https://stonyplainrecords.com/tajmahal/
August 3-6 2023: 4 Nights at SF Jazz with Taj and the Savoy Band! www.sfjazz.org
Recording a fantastic all Spanish project for Little Village with Marina Crouse, “Canto de mi Corazon” .
Check my calendar for Marina Crouse gigs!
and the release of Danny’s fourth CD “Make Beauty”, a collection of soulful originals and covers.
Live gigs with my own band coming up-check the calendar!
Danny was featured guitarist once again this year at Stanford Jazz Festival’s Blues Night spearheaded by his old Charles Brown bandmate, swinging bassist Ruth Davies (we’ve done 20 yrs!). They accompanied singer Shemekia Copeland last year, in addition to past concerts with Ruthie Foster, Eric Bibb, Keb Mo, Charlie Musslewhite, Barbara Morrison, Robben Ford, Floyd Dixon, Hadda Brooks, Joe Louis Walker and a host of others.
