Danny Baron hails from the south-side of Chicago and now resides in a far north-west Chicago suburb. He is self taught guitarist, songwriter and vocalist that has toured and or worked with some top name national and regional talent. Top name talent you ask? How about Brian Wilson, yes that Brian of the "Beach Boys". He did one tour with Mr. Wilson. He also played and recorded with Chicago radio hosts Steve Dahl, Donny Bonaduce and Kevin Matthews.
In my capacity as a pseudo journalist and a die hard to my grave blues fan, I see and hear a lot of blues rockers. I can honestly say Danny is one of the best. He has it all, song writing, vocals, stage presence and oh, by the way this guy can play a guitar. I mean really play a guitar. He can go toe to toe with Joe B., Eric C, Jimi and dare I say it,,,,,,the "Guitar God Stevie Ray" Amen brother and hallelujah be his name. (No disrespect)
I first heard/saw Danny perform at an Electro Glide Records showcase. Within that first millisecond of sound, he exploded. I was riveted to his pure emotional filled performance. Some of the pickers get it and some don't; If you can't feel the music why do it?
Danny feels it, uses it, chews it up and spits it out. His song "Jealously"on his self produced CD "Danny and The Devils" is exactly what I am referring to. It's like he is in a trance and all those great guitarists before him are manipulating his fingers. Almost ZEN Like.
There are far too many talented musicians whom never get the recognition they deserve. I refuse to let this talented man be one. There is nothing to stop him on his journey to the top. He has it, no doubt in my head. One special note; Danny is a real straight shooter and all around great person. In other words he's not a jerk.
Danny's CD
November 16, 2010 at 11:30 am to 2:00pm. Danny will be playing live in WEFT studios. WEFT.org "Daves Blues Show" That night he will be playing in Pekin , Illinois at "Goodfella's" for The River Blues Society. Facebook him @ Danny Baron
Any night of the week you can hear the blues on the west, the east, the north and the south sides of Chi-Town. In any one of those city-spots there are blues artists, some on stage and some not.
Robert Schmidt (AKA) Smilin Bob is his name. I met Bob in September of 1977. I had just completed a tour of active duty in the US Navy prior to that encounter. I went to work in a west side heavy equipment manufacturing plant. The union assigned me to this particular company. It was my first regular day job and my last. The place was huge, employed about 1,200 workers and encompassed almost a half mile of land.
I started playing guitar in 1960. Bass has been my main instrument and I had thought I held my own in many different situations. The guys I worked with found out about my "guitarmanship." Word spread quickly throughout the plant.
Bob was the plant oilman. He could go anywhere in the plant without suspicion. No one would question what he was doing. His job was to make sure all the machinery had the proper oil levels. It wasn’t too long before Bob walked into the shop. The reason they call him “Smilin Bobby” was immediately apparent. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen. He came over to me and said, "You the guitar player?" I said, "Yes". " You got a PA system?” he asked, through a mile wide grin. "Yes", I said once again. "You want to jam with some friends of mines?" "Sure," was my response. He then proceeded to give me directions and a time. Then off he went pushing his oil cart ahead of him. He looked back and said, "Don’t forget the system."
The place we were to meet at was called Del Morocco II. It was located on the corner of Lake and Halsted. This was in the area of the city’s restaurateurs’ market. Sunday night from six to midnight he had the regular gig. I arrived in my red corvair. The car was loaded. PA system packed in the back seat, my bass amp in the front seat. The guitar just fit on top of the speakers in back. I often wonder how I avoided getting a ticket. There was no way to see out of the back window.
I walked into the club and to my surprise; I was the only white person there. I did not think much about the race thing back then like some of those other idiotic morons. Don’t let me get started about those clowns. I didn't have much experience with that sort of thing. That first Sunday my experience was enhanced when someone yelled out, “Who let the M****** f***ing Police in here.” Bobby yelled out, “Leave my Brother alone y’all.” He meandered over to me and said, “You bring the PA?” I told him it was in the car. We walked outside to fetch it. When he saw my bass amp, he told be very diplomatically that he had a bass player. He then went to his car pulled out a beat up Ibanez guitar. He handed it to me and said, “You can play this.” I admit that I knew the basics of the blues I-IV-V, but I really never really played it in a band before. I played the guitar through my Peavey 400 bass amplifier. Those six hours were the greatest six hours I had ever spent. Man, oh, man the sound that came out of that little beat up joint was incredible. I learned more that night then some do in a life time. Sunday night for the next two years found me there. You see that was my Sunday church. That’s where I was baptized in the blues.
I remember one night I showed up there and the police had the whole place surrounded ,,,,,hmmmmmmmmm. Stay tuned for more upcoming stories and interviews.
BLUES ME OR LOSE ME,
Terrance “Gatorman” Lape
Don't forget to bookmark www.chicagobluesnews.com
If you’d like to see a similar place like Del Morocco and what Bobby sounds like watch this early video, circa late 70’s early 80’s at:
What can I write about L V Banks? L V is a Chicago West side blues artist that has no comparison.
He was born just outside Benoit, Mississippi. He moved to Greenville as a teenager. He served for four years in the army During the Korean war. Upon his release from military service he returned to Greenville and stepped off the train right into the hottest blues area of its day. Little Milton, Ike turner and their contemporaries allowed L V an opportunity to polish his craft.
His first band included Nick Charles (Billy Branch S.O.B.),Eddie Shaw on Sax and guitar man L.
B B King heard him and offered this advice “You got the voice that sings and swings so you better squeeze them strings.” L V moved to Chicago in 1965 and has lived in the same apartment since that move. He currently resides right around the corner from the current President’s house.
In 1995 Wolf Records recorded his first CD called “Ruby”.
“Hard to Love a Woman” is a straight forward driving Elmore James style rocking Blues.
The title cut “Ruby” is a nicely written almost funky Sam and Dave type number. It has a wonderful piano solo. One of the lines states “I’ll eat a rainbow” typical L V humor.
“Express Love” is in the style of B B king. It has a great opening lead guitar riff and L V’s solo work is really illustrates the Chicago west side style.
“Lonely Room” is another 1-4-5 that talks about how lonely one can be while waiting on someone who never comes. This cut has that down home style. It is one of my favorites
“Miss You Babe” moves right along and is a dancer that changes from a shuffle to a swing and back again. He writes about going to the corner to get a sweet roll and a cup of coffee. L V is the only blues man that I am aware of that sings about that particular subject. This number really cooks.
“I love My Guitar” is another tune that shows a strong B B influence. The subject matter is about a blues man’s love for his guitar and a love for his woman. Guess who wins? A blues man’s guitar will always win, because it is always true. Oh. and it does what the blues man asks of it.
“I made a Mistake” is very reminiscent of High Heel sneakers. It has the same groove which is a good thing and is very up-tempo with an outstanding guitar line and piano solo. It is quite fitting that it follows "I love my guitar", because L V kicks out his woman and does not want to be bothered with her anymore.
“Pipe Layer”. This song talks about hard times and a man’s quest for work and his landing a job as a layer of pipe. Of course anyone can read between the lines on this one.
“What happened to our Love?” Talks about relationships and love lost.
“Falling to Pieces” is another B B influenced number that drives right along with the guitar hook and lead guitar work.
“Bobby Sock Baby” talks about letting that young love go and it’s a number that cooks right along. This is one of two songs on this Cd that L V did not write
“Love Light” L V has one of the best versions out there with his cover. His vocals are right there and it is of course very well performed. L V ‘s second song that was authored by someone else.
The band includes
Michael Thomas (second guitar)
Allan Batts (keys)
Dave Kay (Bass)
Jerry Price (drums)
This CD “Ruby” showcases a blues man at his best and should be in your collection filed under “Chicago Blues”.
Authors note
I may be a little bit partial to L V Banks; he played in my back yard for my daughter’s engagement / moving to Dallas party. He also is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.
You can get L V’s CD “Ruby” on Amazon.com or direct from Wolf Records. Go to Shop and put L V Banks in the search engine.
Big Dog was born and Raised in Antioch, Illinois. Antioch is the most unlikely spot
to raise a blues man. Nestled amongst numerous lakes; Chicagoan’s
discovered Antioch in the later part of the 1800’s. They flocked to the
area for fishing, hunting and gambling. Antioch’s most infamous resident was none other than Al Capone
who had a residence there, as he did in so many areas of Chicago. It is
rumored that he owned upwards of 400 houses spread throughout the
Chicago land area. I guess you got to hide all them booze dollars
somehow.
One would think that Antioch’s citizenry would birth fishermen, not blues men.
I did not ask if Big Dog fishes, but he practices catch and release
none the less. He catches his surroundings, writes about it and then
releases it in song.
Big
Dog is a blues man in every sense of the word. Off the record he has
told me the regular spiels that all blues men have. He bit the blues
hook and the bait was the “Blues Brothers Movie”. He
jumped into that proverbial boat full of blues when he saw John Lee
Hooker leaning up against a wall in the aforementioned. Something about
that music hooked him and just blew him away. Big Dog
claims that that movie influenced him to play guitar. The genre did not
matter. At the age of sixteen he was playing Rock and Roll. I asked him
what sort of music category he would put his music into, He replied,
“Bluesbilly, Swamp Blues & Surfbilly.” That cleared up a lot.
The way he got his first guitar was like the way so many other teenagers got things, “Momma Please……….”
Momma said no so off to old dad he went. He pleaded and he begged his
father for one and he finally relented. Sears filled the order, as it
did for so many guitar players and blues men. I often wonder if Sears Roebuck & Co. knows how much it contributed to the American music scene.
Not
only does Big Dog pick a mean left handed guitar, he can slide on one
just as well. He told me a little secret, “Whatever you can pick you
can slide.” Yours truly has been plugging away at slide for a better
part of a year now and I tell you folks it “ain’t” easy.
He has a way of singing that is extremely reminiscent of the old school of blues players. He has a growl to his voice that demands attention and combined with an attacking slide style, his is a joy to be heard. I
might be a little partial towards Big Dog because I truly love the
Blues and the blues is what he does best. Big Dog also has his own
musical Instrument repair Shop.
While
at Big Dogs mypace page make sure you listen to the songs "Alabama
Wildman', "Big Dog Blues" and "Who's That Coming." Who's that coming
has an excellent slide opening and closing.
If you get a chance to see Big Dog there is no mistaking him. There is a reason ya'll why they call him BIG DOG.
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