The DU Lounge

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,600 posts) Tue Sep 4, 2018, 03:01 PM Sep 2018

He would have turned 73 today: Danny Gatton

Gatton with his "Mother of Toilet Seat" Telecaster

Website dannygatton.com

Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) known by the nicknames "The Humbler", "The Telemaster", and "the world's greatest unknown guitarist" was an American guitarist who fused blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style 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 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 Explosion.

Although Gatton could play most genres of music, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, and rock, he was known as a country and rockabilly 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."

Nine years after his last album, he released Unfinished Business (1987), 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. For unknown reasons, he committed suicide in 1994.

Death

On October 4, 1994, Gatton locked himself in the garage on his farm in Newburg, Maryland, and took his own life by shooting himself. Although he left no note or explanation,[11] family members and close friends believe he suffered from depression for many years. Friend and drummer Dave Elliott said that he thought Gatton had suffered from depression since they met more than twenty years earlier.

The great Santo & Johnny tune:

Playlist: Danny Gatton

rbienstock • Nov 15, 2011

By Ed Mitchell

Known in his lifetime as “The Telemaster,” “The World’s Greatest Unknown Guitarist,” and “The Humbler,” Danny Gatton was a walking, talking, ’53 Tele-spanking encyclopedia of classic American guitar styles. Sadly, the guitarist took his own life in 1994, leaving behind a bunch of essential albums and two incendiary Hotlicks tutorial DVDs (Telemaster! and Strictly Rhythm Guitar). Here are five examples of why Steve Vai reckons Danny “comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived.”

“Cruisin’ ” (live)
(The Humbler, 1996)
The aptly named “The Humbler” was recorded in 1981 at the Berkeley Square nightclub in Berkeley, California, when Danny was lead guitarist for rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon and his band The Wildcats. For years the recording existed only as a bootleg, passed between guitarists to inspire and possibly even terrify. Everyone who plays guitar should own this album. Here’s a little taste as to why Steve Vai reckons Danny “comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived.”

“Cruisin’ ” (live)
(The Humbler, 1996)