Chris Daniels (musician)

Chris Daniels^[1] aka "Spoons" born Christopher Williams Daniels on September 30, 1952, is an American bandleader, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and roots musician. He best known for the horn-driven, swing, R&B, jump blues style band he has led since 1984, Chris Daniels & The Kings.^[2] He produced 15 albums over four decades on several labels. Daniels has critically acclaimed international releases in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands.^[1] Chris Daniels & The Kings have toured throughout the US and Europe appearing at festivals such as The Telluride Bluegrass Festival^[3] Carolina Downhome Blues Festival,^[4] Parkpop Festival in the Netherlands, Marktrock in Belgium; plus appearing on TV and radio shows such as Countdown Cafe in the Netherlands,^[5] Nashville Now,^[6] Ohne Filter in Germany, and the HDnet Network in the US.^[7] Daniels toured with various artists across the US and Europe including Russell Smith of the Amazing Rhythm Aces,^[8] The Kings backing David Bromberg in Colorado, Chicago, and New York,^[9] with New Grass Revival in Nashville and Telluride,^[3] and with Dutch guitarist Jan Rijbroek,^[10] and the BMaster (formally Blues Masters) in Europe.^[11]

Daniels is recognized for collaborating with and acting as a bandleader for the Kings when they backed Al Kooper, Sam Bush, Bo Diddley, John Cowan, Francine Reed, Henry Paul, Sonny Landreth, The Coasters, The Drifters, and The Platters and others.^[12]

Daniel's performed vocal and guitar work for radio and TV commercials including but not limited to: Pizza Hut, Ford Motor Company, McDonalds, Cascadian Farm and more.^[13] Additionally, Daniels music was a part of the 2006 ABC series Men in Trees.^[14]

Life and career

Daniels was born in St. Paul, MN, and began playing guitar at ten years old. At seventeen, he moved to the East Coast where he worked as a sideman musician for a band led by David Johansen who later founded the New York Dolls.^[2] He settled in Colorado in 1971 and joined the acoustic jam band Magic Music in 1972, contributing as a singer, songwriter, lead guitarist, mandolin, and banjo player. Magic Music toured the states from 1971 to 1976 and performed at the 2nd and 3rd Telluride Bluegrass Festival, gaining serious interest from Flying Fish Records/Rounder Records and others before the group broke up.^[8] Other members of the Magic Music organization included Tim Goodman of Southern Pacific and Rob Galloway who later played bass with Carol King's backing band, Navarro.^[8]

Between 1976 and 1979, Daniels attended Macalester College in St. Paul and Berklee College of Music in Boston graduating Cum Laude from Macalester in 1979. He returned to Colorado and formed his own group "Spoons" that released one album titled "Definitely Live" in 1981 on Sunshine Records. In 1982, Daniels teamed up with Russell Smith of the Amazing Rhythm Aces and began to tour the US as a guitar, mandolin, and banjo player. Daniels developed his upbeat, jazz, swing, and blues styles during those years.^[8]

In 1982 Daniels began working with New Grass Revival (Sam Bush, John Cowan, Bela Fleck, and Pat Flynn) headlining the Friday night shows at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Chris Daniels & The Kings served as the Friday night headliner from 1986 to 1991.^[15][16]

In 1983 Daniels founded the "After Hours Jam" at the historic Sheridan Opera House in Telluride. He served as the bandleader and Master of Ceremonies for the late night concerts, hosting guest artists that included Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill, Edgar Meyer, Victor Wooten, Henry Paul, Howard Levy, Jonell Mosser, Bill Payne, Al Kooper, David Bromberg and a host of others.^[15][17] Daniels met David Bromberg at the After Hours Jam, and through that connection Bromberg and Daniels began playing a series of concerts in Colorado, Chicago and New York. Bromberg wrote the song "Testify" that his band recorded and then The Kings backed Bromberg on his album on his Sideman Serenade record.^[18] Over the next 25 years, Chris & The Kings would also serve as the backup band for many more roots artists such as Sam Bush, John Cowan, Al Kooper, Diane Reeves, The Coasters, Henry Paul, The Platters, The Drifters, and Bo Diddley, Percy Sledge and others.

For five years Daniels served as Executive Director for Swallow Hill Music Association, one of the largest US roots, folk, and acoustic music school and concert organization.^[8] He began teaching in 2002 at the Community College level and then became an Assistant Professor for music business at the University of Colorado Denver's College of Arts & Media in 2007.^[19] On November 8, 2013 Chris Daniels was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, along withJudy Collins, The Serendipity Singers and Bob Lind.^[20]

After being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in 2010, Daniels survived an Hematopoietic bone marrow transplantation via stem cells.^[21] Daniels resumed performing throughout the West with The Kings, and in 2012, he finished recording his fifteenth album. He continues to teach music business as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Denver and was nominated to be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2012 with Judy Collins and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.^[22]

The Kings

In February 1984, Daniels formed Chris Daniels & The R&B Kings (later shortened to The Kings) playing their first show in May 1984. The band developed a strong regional following, performing old R&B jump-blues and rock styles with their distinctive 3-piece horn-section.^[2]

Daniels' first national chart recognition came from the song When You're Cool, released off the album the bearing the same name, on the emerging Triple A radio format pioneered by stations such as KBCO in Boulder, WXRT in Chicago, Cities 97 in Minneapolis,^[23] and cities all across the US. "When You're Cool" was later covered by Conway Twitty.

Discography

References

External links

Website: http://chrisdaniels.com