We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Daniels. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.
Chris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Each project has demands and rewards that are specific to the project; I children’s album is completely different from a solo singer/songwriter project or a band project or a film. But two things are always part of the process, to being it to completion including everything from original concept to production and release and marketing and then touring it is composed of a thousand small detailed steps and tasks – to make that big idea come true; and, the inclusion of others, partners, collaborators, hired musicians, friends who want to help right down to the technical experts – everyone adds a little bit and changes it a little bit – and the artist’s job is to keep the original vision and incorporate and even grab onto those contributions and allow them to make the whole better than a sum of it’s parts. Of the more than 20 albums I’ve done with my band Chris Daniels & The Kings, I think my favorite project was “Blues With Horns.” It incorporated all of that collaboration and all of that original vision.
Chris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve been a professional musician (getting paid for the creative work I do) for 50 years. I’ve been a college professor for the past 20 years.Along the way I have been a co-nominee for a Grammy, toured Europe more than 20 times, been the bandleader for my band backing Garth Brooks, Vince Gil, Bonnie Raitt, Was Not Was, Johnny Swim, John Oats, Sam Bush, Francine Reed, Al Kooper to name only few, performed for European royalty and three American Presidents, produced albums with Jazz various legends, recorded more than 20 albums as an artist, won awards from the New York Film and TV Festival to Westword “Best Of” in categories as varied as “Best Jazz Band” to “Best Blurs Band” and Best Rock Band” run two award winning non-profit arts organizations (Executive Director of Swallow Hill Music and of The Colorado Music Hall of Fame) been the focus of an award winning music documentary about my first band (and Colorado’s first Jam Band – produced by the co-creator of The Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men) been the MC of The Telluride Bluegrass Festival for multiple years and been honored to receive three awards for ‘excellence in teaching and been a Leukemia survivor for the past 12 years. Woof – and with all that – all I really ever wanted to do was play guitar ha ha ha. You can find some of this work on the internet by searching, Chris Daniels (musician), Chris Daniels & The Kings, “40 Years In The Making: The Magic Music Movie”, and Chris Daniels & Hazel Miller.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 210, just after completing and releasing an album with a European band called the B-Master (a Dutch band that I toured and recorded with – the album called ironically enough “We’ll Meet Again.”) I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The survival rate for 5 years was between 5% and 25%. I received a bone marrow transplant from my sister Jane. It was a horrendous battle being in and out of the hospital for eight months – but I survived. How? Because of the help of others, family, doctors, nurses, care givers and complete strangers and fans. And that is the lesson. Nobody does anything meaningful alone – we need the help of others who know more that we do, who can do things we cannot do, and who are believers and the outcome.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
No, and that is the magic. So artists have a hit song – and then spend their careers performing that hit song over and over and over again. Carole King said, ‘if you are gonna write a hit, make it a good one because you will have to play it the rest of your life.” Well in my case, I’ve only had two “hits” and those came 30 years apart. So I have had the freedom to create and change as I go. The mission is to do something new, something different, something that is a challenge and not the same thing over and over again. The lesson came from the Beatles who reinvented themselves on almost ever album starting with Rubber Soul and Revolver — the goal was the creative journey not the the goal … as a good friend said – it’s not the campfire … it’s the trail.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chrisdaniels.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/chrisandthekings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisandthekings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisandKings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=X94son1tVgs
Image Credits
Chris Daniels