Danny Barnes

Danny Barnes (born December 21, 1961) is a banjo and guitar player, singer, and composer whose music is influenced by country, jazz, blues, punk, metal, and more. He has been described as a "banjo virtuoso" and is "widely acknowledged as one of the best banjo players in America." Born in Temple, Texas and raised in Belton, Barnes was exposed to music at a young age: he recalls picking up a love of country and bluegrass from his father and grandmother, Delta blues from one brother and punk from another. He was inspired to learn to play the banjo after seeing Grandpa Jones and Stringbean in concert when he was ten. He attended the University of Texas and graduated with a degree in audio production in 1985.

Career
In 1990, while living in Austin, Barnes formed a band called Bad Livers with bassist Mark Rubin and fiddler Ralph White. The band's 1992 debut album, Delusions of Banjer, was produced by Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers and released on Quarterstick Records. It gained the band some attention in the alt-rock-country scene; they followed it up with another album for Quarterstick, Horses in the Mines, released in 1994. The band then released three albums on the Sugar Hill Records label. During his tenure with the Bad Livers, he was acclaimed as "a prodigiously talented picker, and a glorious singer" with "an ideal bluegrass voice." His songwriting, which "represents the merger of a technically superb musician with a powerful wordsmith" has also been the object of praise.

In 2000 Barnes, now living in Washington State, dissolved the Bad Livers and founded a new band, Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers, with bassist Keith Lowe and violinist Jon Parry. This band released only a single album, 2001's Things I Done Wrong, which was produced by avant-garde jazz composer and pianist Wayne Horvitz (a fellow Seattle resident). 2002 saw Barnes working with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell; Frisell was moving towards incorporating more "American"—country and bluegrass—influences into his playing, and he wanted Barnes to give him lessons in that direction. Their work together led to Barnes playing on Frisell's next album, The Willies; Barnes also toured with Frisell in support of the album.

Since moving to Washington, Barnes has also recorded several solo albums, which were self-released, and a duet effort. His 2003 album Dirt on the Angel, released on Terminus Records, featured Frisell, Chuck Leavell, Darol Anger, and Dirk Powell. In 2004 Barnes participated in Wayne Horvitz's Mylab band and released his second CD for Terminus Records, Get Myself Together.

On 9/21/2007, Danny joined Robert Earl Keen during an opening for the Dave Matthews Band in Houston. Danny joined DMB during their song "Bartender." He also joined DMB during their show at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas, and at their two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in California to conclude DMB's summer 2007 tour. He joined the band onstage once again for their three-night stand at The Gorge in 2009. He also joined them on stage on June 18, 2010 in Noblesville, Indiana.

Besides his musical skills, Barnes is also "a licensed pilot, skateboarder, motorcyclist, flyfisher, unicyclist, trap shooter, and disc golfer."

Solo

 * Poison 2011 / ATO Records (cassette)
 * Angel 2011 / ATO Records (CD)
 * Rocket 2011 / ATO Records (CD)
 * Pizza Box 2009 / ATO Records (CD)
 * Barnyard Electronics 2007 / Self-Released (CD)
 * Get Myself Together 2005 / Terminus Records (CD)
 * Livin' Large in a Little Bitty Room - Live! 2004 / Ironway Communications (CD)
 * Dirt on the Angel 2003 / Terminus Records (CD)
 * Minor Dings 2000 / Cavity Search (CD)
 * Oft Mended Raiment 1999 / Minner Bucket (CD)

Bad Livers

 * Blood and Mood 2000 / Sugar Hill
 * Ridgetop Sessions 2000 / Lumpydisc
 * Dust on the Bible reissue 1999 / Quarterstick
 * Industry and Thrift 1998 / Sugar Hill
 * Hogs on the Highway 1997 / Sugar Hill
 * Horses in the Mines 1994 / Quarterstick
 * Delusions of Banjer 1992 / Quarterstick
 * The Golden Years 1992 / Quarterstick
 * Lust For Life 1991 / Fist Puppet
 * Dust on the Bible 1991 / Self-released

Danny Barnes & Thee Old Codgers

 * Things I Done Wrong 2001 / Terminus Records (CD)

With Pete Krebs

 * Duet For Clarinet and Goat 2001 / Cavity Search (CD)

Barnes, Hokkanen & Rubin

 * Aka The Mad Cat Trio 1999 / Lumpydisc (CD)

As a guest musician

 * Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King 2009
 * Greasy Beans, Busted Double Ought
 * Wayne Horvitz/Tucker Martine, Mylab 2004 / Terminus
 * Bill Frisell, The Willies 2002 / Nonesuch
 * Jackstraw, Jackstraw 2002 / Self-released
 * Greasy Beans, Real Live Music Double Ought
 * Gully Jumpers, Peas & Corn
 * Steve James, Art and Grit  1996 / Antone's Records
 * Steve James, American Primitive 1994 / Antone's Records