MUSINGS & RAMBLINGS

I wanted this gig, just straight Daniel with lots of guitar and Mike’s keyboard solos. As soon as it was announced I got it up on the message board and the calendars. Daniel has made a big push to get a greater level of recognition in troubled times for live music and the music business in general. That’s led to shows with other artists, shows with jams attached, shows with Daniel being part of a line up. Up here in Sonoma County with our venues seemingly contracting or going DJ or karaoke we’ve had fewer of Daniel’s regular shows. And here it was: All Daniel, straight, no chaser.

Switching to a medium tempo it was “Crosscut Saw” done a little slower than usual with a pounding beat with a touch of Latin rhythm from T. Moran’s drums. Albert King is one of Daniel’s “daddies” as a player and the workout they gave this famous tune showed just how much Daniel has made his influences into his own style. Hard and cutting, it also had that grit Daniel gives guitar parts. The audience was going nuts and while we were cheering the band went into another tune without a break. The “fire out/crying out’ intro of “Walking the Dog” made the dancers go nuts. The band took this all kinds of places, including one part that was some where out in space as Shoeless Mike Emerson cut loose with a solo that perfectly was the song and simultaneously out on the rings of Saturn. Daniel’s guitar parts on this song were simply ferocious like a mad dog Otis Rush, incredible guitar. This got funkier and funkier and somehow they transformed the tune into Sly Stone’s “"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” Stupendous!

They went right into a slow blues with fiery licks. Deep personal soul delivered from one heart to another, from the loudest cry down to a very whisper, all the while T. Moran made insistent slow blues rhythm that was the foundation of the song. Then from a whisper to a scream the searing licks ripping right through me. Powerful finger vibrato powered the licks right to the soul. Mike Emerson did a huge great solo that was the equal of Daniel’s work and deep within the blues tradition and again way out there. Mike’s musical knowledge and understanding is huge and allows him to somehow be very concrete and very abstract at the same time.

Daniel went into a hot dance tune with a very regular rhythm and then began to alter it. Suddenly out of nowhere Daniel was playing quotes from bill Doggett’s classic “Honky Tonk” and grinning at Mike who picked right up on it. This transmuted into “Jealous Man (Crazy about my baby too much)” with a bravura ending. The guys were having too much fun. Wild intensity was the feel of the whole set.

Daniel did a tribute tone of his heroes and influences, Albert Collins and did a fiery “Honey Hush” with some slashing licks that set the tune up just right. From there it was right into another guitar hero and “Let Me Love You Baby” done way beyond the Jeff Beck version.

Now “Sweet Home Chicago” isn’t one of my favorites usually, it’s been done to death. But Daniel twisted this around and riding on top of Mike Emerson’s piano vamp he took it far from the sing-along so often seen in bars. Working the song for all it was worth and evolving the feel, suddenly the song was “Tequila” (you know, by the Champs) and it’s garage rock classic simple vamp—only T. Moran injected a whole Latin feel into the mix and the thing had an almost cha-cha feel. A real gas with the hot playing.

At the break Daniel told me he’s going back into the studio as soon as he can get some additional money together. “We needed a new CD two years ago!” I really don’t understand why Daniel remains unsigned; He’s simply as good or better than many supposed national acts.

The second set was hot from the beginning too. Daniel fired out on “I’m Sorry (Let me come back home)” and played burning guitar for several verses along with Mike’s great organ work before doing the vocal. Sometimes in the bars Daniel makes this into a story song and does stage schtick to draw the audience in. He didn’t have to draw this audience in—we were screaming and hollering. Daniel did the words and got right back to doing the solos we were yelling for.

Daniel did several things this night I hadn’t seen before. On the next number he and Mike and the band went into an early rock straight eight to the bar feel sort of like “Mercury blues” and twisted and evolved the song, until suddenly it was “Shake Your Money Maker” and a fast shuffle.

Daniel announced, “We haven’t done this song in a long time, it’s by a band in Canada.” It was one of my favorites from times gone by, “Hear That Guitar Ring,” with it’s story line of having seen too much, and keeping on for love of the guitar and music. This song is a bit more lyrical than some Daniel does and it was a great change of pace.

This set seemed to have more showcase tunes and the versions of “High Heeled Sneakers” had a bunch of great solo work and wild evolutions in rock and roll rhythm with screaming fast guitar. Wow. This led right into “Empty Arms” done fast with it’s signature riff done hard.

Daniel announced Sonny Landreth’s “Congo Square” with a tribute to Sonny’s legendary and unusual plying. The band started this slow and with a lot of expression. As the tempo increased so did the complexity and this became a tour de force that showed just how much this band really can do. It was filled with cross and counter rhythms. I’m impressed; this song was so together and yet abstract.

A slow blues with no words was expression beyond words. Audience members were calling out when a lick or phrase really touched them, an effect I’ve seen only with the greats. People had their hands over their hearts and then both arms up in the air. Ice blue licks and screaming and crying happened with this tune.

For the last part of the night Daniel brought his sister Gypsy up on stage to sing. I think Gypsy is a resident of Hawaii and she said “Aloha!” and “Mahalo!” to the crowd. I’m not sure if the first number had an exact name, it sure had a lot of classic wandering verses of the great women singers in it. With big chest tones and a powerful delivery Gypsy showed she was Ma Rainey’s daughter. Men are no good, but she needs her baby and she ain’t gonna be owned by any of them! Yessir, it was classic. Daniel had a lot of fun playing fills behind her and Mike knew just how to have that piano sound foundation for her.

The last song of the night was a long version of “(Turn on your) Lovelight” done their way. There was a lot of joy on stage in that, brother and sister able to play together again. They were having fun.

It was time to end it; the band was beginning to look tired; they’d put out amazing amounts of energy. With the last note, the band turned inward and didn’t look at the crowd, they were so spent they didn’t have energy for handshaking and they wanted to congratulate each other on one of the great nights.