Danny Gatton
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Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz".


Career

Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., in 1945. The son of a rhythm guitarist, Gatton started playing at the age of nine. From 1960–1964 he played jazz guitar with the Offbeats, then worked as a
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
in Nashville. When he returned to Washington, he drew attention in the 1970s as a member of Liz Meyer & Friends and other local bands. He recorded his debut album, ''American Music'' (1975), followed by ''Redneck Jazz'' (1978) with pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons appearing as a guest. He founded the band the Redneck Jazz Explosion. Although Gatton could play most genres of music, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, and rock, he was known as a country and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
guitarist. He toured with singers Roger Miller and Robert Gordon. He was sometimes called "The Telemaster" and "the world's greatest unknown guitarist". Guitarist Amos Garrett called him "The Humbler" for his ability to defeat other guitarists in "head-cutting" jam sessions. On this point, however, Gatton declared: “The biggest humbler to me, of all time, would be Lenny Breau. He was the best I have ever seen." In 1987, nine years after his previous album, he released ''Unfinished Business'', an eclectic collection of pop, rock, and country music that '' Guitar World'' magazine named the tenth best album of the 1980s. He got a contract with his first major record label and released another eclectic album, '' 88 Elmira Street'' ( Elektra, 1991), which contained a cover version of the theme song from the animated TV series ''The Simpsons''. Gatton turned toward jazz for the albums ''New York Stories'' ( Blue Note, 1992) and ''Relentless'' (1994) with Joey DeFrancesco.


Death

Gatton killed himself at his farm in Newburg, Maryland on October 4, 1994.


Reception

When ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine selected the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003, senior editor David Fricke ranked Gatton 63rd on his ballot. On May 26, 2010, Gibson.com ranked Gatton as the 27th best guitarist of all time. Among his admirers are
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,
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, Lenny Breau, James Burton, Chris Cheney, Vince Gill, Johnny Hiland, Evan Johns, Bill Kirchen,
Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also m ...
,
Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...
, Arlen Roth, Paul Bechtoldt, Roy Buchanan, Darren Thiboutot Jr., Richie Sambora, Ricky Skaggs, Slash,
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, Trey Anastasio, and
Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...
. Gatton has been described as possessing an extraordinary proficiency on his instrument, "a living treasury of American musical styles." In 2009, John Previti, who played bass guitar with Danny for eighteen years, stated, "You know, when he played country music, it sounded like all he played was country music. When he played jazz, it sounded like that's all he played, rockabilly, old rock and roll, soul music. You know, he called himself a Whitman sampler of music." Guitarist
Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...
reckons Danny "comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived." Guitarist Albert Lee said of Gatton, "Here's a guy who's got it all." On January 10–12, 1995, Tramps nightclub in New York organized a three-night tribute to Gatton featuring dozens of Gatton's musical admirers, the highlight of which was a twenty-minute performance by Les Paul, James Burton, Arlen Roth, and Albert Lee. Those shows (with all musicians performing for free) raised $25,000 for Gatton's wife and daughter. ''Blue Skies Calling'' (2011), an album by Boy Wells, includes nearly an hour of Gatton and Wells playing in his living room. "Danny called me before he died and asked me to put a vocal tape together for his label at the time. He needed a singer after his singer, Billy Windsor, had passed. He remained a friend, a good one all those years. This lesson was in the late '70s; it's me and Danny in the living room of his house on Holly Lane in Indian Head, Maryland. It's killer stuff."


Awards and honors

* Grammy Award nomination, "Elmira Street Boogie", Best Rock Instrumental Performance, 1991 * Danny Gatton Signature Telecaster


Discography


As leader

* ''American Music'' (Aladdin, 1975) * ''Redneck Jazz'' (NRG, 1978) * ''Unfinished Business'' (NRG, 1987) * ''Blazing Telecasters'' with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 1990) * '' 88 Elmira St.'' (Elektra, 1991) * ''Cruisin' Deuces'' (Elektra, 1993) * ''Relentless'' with Joey DeFrancesco (Exile, 1994) * ''Redneck Jazz Explosion'' (NRG, 1995) * '' "The Humbler"'' with Robert Gordon (NRG, 1996) * ''In Concert 9/9/94'' (Big Mo, 1996) * ''Untouchable'' (NRG, 1998) * ''Portraits'' (Big Mo, 1998) * ''Capitol Attack'' with Robert Gordon (Renegade, 1999) * ''Funhouse'' (Flying Deuces Music, 2004) * ''Showdown at the Hoedown'' with Evan Johns (Jellyroll, 2005) * ''Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters'' with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 2005) * ''Redneck Jazz Explosion Volume Two'' (Flying Deuces Music, 2006) * ''Live in 1977: The Humbler Stakes His Claim'' (Powerhouse, 2007) * ''New York Stories'' with Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove (EMI, 2009)


References


Further reading

*


External links


Danny Gatton websiteDanny Gatton movie website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatton, Danny 1945 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American guitarists American blues guitarists American jazz guitarists American rockabilly guitarists American male guitarists Guitarists from Washington, D.C. Suicides by firearm in Maryland 1994 suicides 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians