Danny Barnes
Encyclopedia
Danny Barnes is a banjo
and guitar
player whose music is influenced by country
, jazz
and punk. Born in Temple, Texas
and raised in Belton
, Barnes was exposed to music at a young age: he recalls picking up a love of country and bluegrass
from his father and grandmother, Delta blues
from one brother and punk from another. He attended the University of Texas
and graduated with a degree in audio production in 1985.
In 1990, while living in Austin
, Barnes formed a band called Bad Livers with bassist Mark Rubin and fiddler
Ralph White. The band's 1994 debut album, Delusions of Banjer, was produced by Paul Leary
of the Butthole Surfers
, and gained the band some attention in the alt-rock-country scene; they followed it up with three more albums on the Sugar Hill Records label.
In 2000 Barnes, now living in the Seattle area, dissolved the Bad Livers and founded a new band, Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers, with bassist Keith Lowe and violinist Jon Parry. This band released only a single album, 2001's Things I Done Wrong, which was produced by avant-garde jazz composer and pianist Wayne Horvitz
(a fellow Seattle resident). 2002 saw Barnes working with jazz guitar
ist Bill Frisell
; Frisell was moving towards incorporating more "American"—country and bluegrass—influences into his playing, and he wanted Barnes to give him lessons in that direction. Their work together led to Barnes playing on Frisell's next album, The Willies; Barnes also toured with Frisell in support of the album.
Since moving to Seattle Barnes has also recorded several solo albums, which were self-released, and a duet effort. His 2003 album Dirt on the Angel, released on Terminus Records, featured Frisell, Chuck Leavell
, Darol Anger
, and Dirk Powell. In 2004 Barnes participated in Wayne Horvitz's Mylab band and released his second CD for Terminus Records, Get Myself Together.
On 9/21/2007, Danny joined Robert Earl Keen during an opening for the Dave Matthews Band in Houston. Danny joined DMB during their song "Bartender." He also joined DMB during their show at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas, and at their two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in California to conclude DMB's summer 2007 tour. He joined the band onstage once again for their three-night stand at The Gorge
in 2009. He also joined them on stage on June 18, 2010 in Noblesville, Indiana.
Besides his musical skills, Barnes is also "a licensed pilot, skateboarder, motorcyclist, flyfisher, unicyclist, trap shooter, and disc golfer."
Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers:
Pete Krebs & Danny Barnes:
Barnes, Hokkanen & Rubin
Bad Livers:
Guest Musician/Misc:
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player whose music is influenced by country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and punk. Born in Temple, Texas
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
and raised in Belton
Belton, Texas
Belton is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,623 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bell County.Belton is part of the Killeen – Temple – Fort Hood metropolitan area.-Geography:...
, Barnes was exposed to music at a young age: he recalls picking up a love of country and bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
from his father and grandmother, Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
from one brother and punk from another. He attended the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and graduated with a degree in audio production in 1985.
In 1990, while living in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Barnes formed a band called Bad Livers with bassist Mark Rubin and fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
Ralph White. The band's 1994 debut album, Delusions of Banjer, was produced by Paul Leary
Paul Leary
Paul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
of the Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, and gained the band some attention in the alt-rock-country scene; they followed it up with three more albums on the Sugar Hill Records label.
In 2000 Barnes, now living in the Seattle area, dissolved the Bad Livers and founded a new band, Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers, with bassist Keith Lowe and violinist Jon Parry. This band released only a single album, 2001's Things I Done Wrong, which was produced by avant-garde jazz composer and pianist Wayne Horvitz
Wayne Horvitz
Wayne Horvitz is an American composer, keyboardist and record producer.-Biography:Horvitz, a "defiant cross-breeder of genres", has led the groups The President, Pigpen, Zony Mash, and the Four Plus One Ensemble...
(a fellow Seattle resident). 2002 saw Barnes working with jazz guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
; Frisell was moving towards incorporating more "American"—country and bluegrass—influences into his playing, and he wanted Barnes to give him lessons in that direction. Their work together led to Barnes playing on Frisell's next album, The Willies; Barnes also toured with Frisell in support of the album.
Since moving to Seattle Barnes has also recorded several solo albums, which were self-released, and a duet effort. His 2003 album Dirt on the Angel, released on Terminus Records, featured Frisell, Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
, Darol Anger
Darol Anger
-Career:Darol Anger entered popular music at the age of 21 as a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Anger played fiddle to David Grisman's mandolin in The David Grisman Quintet's 1977 debut. He co-founded the Turtle Island String Quartet with David Balakrishnan in 1985 and performed,...
, and Dirk Powell. In 2004 Barnes participated in Wayne Horvitz's Mylab band and released his second CD for Terminus Records, Get Myself Together.
On 9/21/2007, Danny joined Robert Earl Keen during an opening for the Dave Matthews Band in Houston. Danny joined DMB during their song "Bartender." He also joined DMB during their show at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas, and at their two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in California to conclude DMB's summer 2007 tour. He joined the band onstage once again for their three-night stand at The Gorge
The Gorge Amphitheatre
The Gorge Amphitheatre is a 20,000+ seat concert venue, located above the Columbia River in George, Washington. It offers lawn-terrace seating and concert-friendly weather....
in 2009. He also joined them on stage on June 18, 2010 in Noblesville, Indiana.
Besides his musical skills, Barnes is also "a licensed pilot, skateboarder, motorcyclist, flyfisher, unicyclist, trap shooter, and disc golfer."
Discography
Danny Barnes:- Pizza Box - 2009 / ATO Records (CD)
- Barnyard Electronics - 2007 / Self-Released (CD)
- Get Myself Together - 2005 / Terminus Records (CD)
- Livin' Large In A Little Bitty Room - Live! - 2004 / Ironway Communications (CD)
- Dirt on the Angel - 2003 / Terminus Records (CD)
- Minor Dings - 2000 / Cavity Search (CD)
- Oft Mended Raiment - 1999 / Minner Bucket (CD)
Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers:
- Things I Done Wrong - 2001 / Terminus Records (CD)
Pete Krebs & Danny Barnes:
- Duet For Clarinet and Goat - 2001 / Cavity Search (CD)
Barnes, Hokkanen & Rubin
- aka The Mad Cat Trio - 1999 / Lumpydisc (CD)
Bad Livers:
- Blood and Mood - 2000 / Sugar Hill (CD)
- Ridgetop Sessions - 2000 / Lumpydisc (CD)
- Dust on the Bible reissue - 1999 / Quarter Stick (CD / cassette)
- Industry and Thrift - 1998 / Sugar Hill (CD / cassette)
- Hogs on the Highway - 1997 / Sugar Hill (CD / cassette)
- Horses in the Mine - 1994 / Quarter Stick (CD / cassette / 12-inch LP)
- Delusions of Banjer - 1992 / Quarter Stick (CD / cassette / 12-inch LP)
- The Golden Years - 1992 / Quarter Stick (12-inch EP)
- Lust For Life - 1991 / Fist Puppet (7-inch Single)
- Dust on the Bible - 1991 / Self-released (Cassette)
Guest Musician/Misc:
- Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux KingBig Whiskey and the Groogrux KingThe track listing was made available on April 14 on the Dave Matthews Band website, and the first single from the album, "Funny the Way It Is", was made available for free download on the Dave Matthews Band website for the week of 14 April 2009.-Little Red Bird:...
" - 2009 - Greasy Beans, "Busted" - Double Ought (CD)
- Wayne HorvitzWayne HorvitzWayne Horvitz is an American composer, keyboardist and record producer.-Biography:Horvitz, a "defiant cross-breeder of genres", has led the groups The President, Pigpen, Zony Mash, and the Four Plus One Ensemble...
/Tucker MartineTucker MartineTucker Martine is an American, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Spoon, and Tift Merritt...
, "Mylab" - 2004 / Terminus (CD) - Bill FrisellBill FrisellWilliam Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
, "The WilliesThe WilliesThe Willies is the fifteenth album by Bill Frisell to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label. It was released in 2002 and features performances by Frisell, Danny Barnes and Keith Lowe.-Reception:...
" - 2002 / Nonesuch (CD) - Jackstraw, "Jackstraw" - 2002 / Self-released (CD)
- Greasy Beans, "Real Live Music" - Double Ought (CD / cassette)
- Gully Jumpers, "Peas & Corn" - (CD)