Danny Gatton

[Bright Moments]

continuing my exploration of guitarists who died tragically young (Szabo, Breau, Remler etc.) I need some Danny Gatton recommendations please.

I have this one:

thanks!

[Guest Bill Barton]

New York Stories is excellent.

[JohnS]

I had New York Stories. I liked it less than the lineup suggested. I let it go to a Gatton fan who'd been looking for it for ages. So it went to a good home.

[BFrank]

You've checked out Roy Buchanan, right?

[Bright Moments]

You've checked out Roy Buchanan, right?

not yet - should i?

[Chuck Nessa]

Is Ronnie Singer next?

[AllenLowe]

I gotta say that Gatton, for all is gifts, bothers me for the same reason Buchanan does - his playing sounds to me the equivalent of Oscar Peterson, fast and technically intricate, but based on chord/scale patterns that are more displays than exhibits of musical feeling -

just my opinion -

[AllenLowe]

I also like Jimmy Bryant - there is something about speed of execution that leads to problems for some; certain muscians play fast, and it's like a typewriter being worked by a good secretary - all motion and a level plane, no variation, technically skilled but mechanical - and yet some musicians (thinking, eg, Bud Powell, Jimmy Bryant) can play fast, intricate passages with subtle variations of emphasis and touch - and it becomes music, it has feeling. This is open, of course, to individual interpretation, and there is certainly a thrill to be felt in virtousity for its own sake - but than listen to Tristano execute, with his perfect internal rhythmic sense, or Tatum of course, who has an incredible knack for turning the beat in different ways, or Jaki Byard, who turns fast passages into little waves of contrary motion -

once again, just my opinion -

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Get "Relentless" next. It's a great record and (GASP) better than any Barney Kessel snoozefest.

[AllenLowe]

yes, but not as good as Barney's Greatest Hits - which includes: 1) I'm so Special 2) You're So Special 3) Everyone is So Special and 4) Everyone is Special Except Danny Gatton, Though He Can Really Play Fast

hope I'm not confusing Barneys...

[Bright Moments]

Is Ronnie Singer next?

could be - any recommendations?

ugh - suicide with his wife at age 24.

[AllenLowe]

played too slow -

sorry, with me, you just can't win -

[AllenLowe]

and than there were the musicians who were just too damn old when they died -

[Peter]

I gotta say that Gatton, for all is gifts, bothers me for the same reason Buchanan does - his playing sounds to me the equivalent of Oscar Peterson, fast and technically intricate, but based on chord/scale patterns that are more displays than exhibits of musical feeling -

just my opinion -

What Allen said. Could play anything on the guitar, but didn't know what to play.

[Peter]

Is Ronnie Singer next?

If you're going for obscure, you're there. Never heard of him. Neither has wikipedia or all music guide.

[Niko]

Is Ronnie Singer next?

If you're going for obscure, you're there. Never heard of him. Neither has wikipedia or all music guide.

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=32534

and french wikipedia with a link to an except of his playing

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Singer

(all courtesy of our board member steven i guess)

Edited April 29, 2008 by Niko

[Tom in RI]

Count me in the group that likes Danny Gatton. I would rate his Relentless date w/Joey DeFrancesco as a more successful date than the Blue Note disc, New York Stories mentioned above (I read somewhere recently that Gatton did all his parts as dubs in a studio and wasn't present when the rest of the music was made which I found a little hard to believe). As to other discs to get, I would look for Unfinished Business which includes two of my all time favorite Gatton songs, Melancholy Serenade (the theme from the Jackie Gleason show) and Sleepwalk. There are a couple of songs on the disc I usually skip but overall it is a fine effort from Gatton. From there I would strongly recommend the 2 volumes of Redneck Jazz Explosion with Buddy Emmons. Incidentally Big Mo records is having a sale as I write on Relentless and vol2 of Red Neck Jazz Explosion (9.95) among other titles. I would avoid the live date on Big Mo, In Concert 9/9/94, its not his best work and I don't know why it was released when there is so much better live Gatton out there.

Also, Gatton has been booted relentlessly and a lot of his stuff going back to the 1970's including a night with Lenny Breau has been making the rounds. As is the case with live recordings fidelity varies greatly.

As for the criticisms above I would note that Gatton was a reluctant "star", didn't like to travel and had a negative experience with the one shot he had with a major label. I think that he played exactly what he wanted to play and wasn't concerned with leaving some deep musical legacy. I believe he played what he enjoyed and was lucky to find what audience he did. He definitely had some set pieces in his repertoire such as Harlem Nocturne, Sleepwalk, and the Linus and Lucy/Orange Blosom Special medley that ended many of his shows. And you can hear the same references to the same goofy tv themes from show to show. For me personally, it just hasn't gotten old.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Tom in RI

[Bright Moments]

Thanks Tom! Great post!

[BFrank]

You've checked out Roy Buchanan, right?

not yet - should i?

I'm not that familiar with all of Roy's work, myself, but Gatton and Buchanan are frequently mentioned in the same sentence (see other posts here). So, I'm not taking a stand on either one, but if you like one, you will probably enjoy the other.

Many people consider his first Polydor album a classic.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Curious... Personally I don't hear the direct connection between Gatton and Buchanan, other than the fact that they could both play the frets off a guitar. I heard Buchanan only once in performance on a very strange double bill with Larry Coryell (who played mostly acoustic, wearing a white suit, in his guru phase). Buchanan was a hell of a contrast: jeans and flannel shirt, beer and cigarettes, distortion cranked up. His set bored me to tears. All flash and little feeling.

[Tom in RI]

Buchanan and Gatton. Both spent considerable time in the DC area. Both were monster guitarists who did not sing and often had not so great vocalists in their bands. Both had keyboard player Dick Heintze (a big influence on Gatton) in their bands at different times. Buchanan was rumored to have been asked to join the Rolling Stones, Gatton was asked to join Lowell George's band (just before he died). Both are identified with the telecaster. Both took their own lives. Personally, I heard some Buchanan years ago but I never heard the lp that lead to that "I get him" moment. As for Gatton, the first time I heard him on the vinyl version of Unfinished Business, I was totally wowed and have been tracking down stuff by him since.

[randyhersom]

I don't know Gatton at all, but Buchanan did sing occasionally on his albums. I'm quite fond of his Live Stock album, and find much to enjoy and admire in some of the others. Plenty of emotion for me, I simply can't hear any justification for pegging him as an emotionless technician.

[Tom in RI]

Just to clarify, I am not passing any judgment on Buchanan at all, as I noted, I haven't a lot by him and what I did hear was quite some time ago (like 20 years).

[danasgoodstuff]

Love Danny G, pretty much indifferent to Roy B. New York Stories is fine by me. Loved Jr Brown at first then wnet kinda lukewarm. Shoulda put Gatton's version of "Funky Mama" on my blindfold.

[Bright Moments]

relentless with joeyD was sweet!!!