I saw Danny and the boys at the Bottle & Cork do this but he used Miller bottle upside down, soaking the neck. He asked for a bar towel and played staccato riffs while wiping it down. I was about 3 feet from him and the notes rang out clear as a bell. I don't know how... He explained it once but I couldn't do it. I doubt anyone can. The slide yes, but playing through a bar rag cleanly? Not a chance. Damn how I miss him! On this day of Thanksgiving, I'm truly thankful to have seen and heard this incredible muscian! And a really nice guy!
The sax solo was enough for my thumbs up. If I could give another I would. Hey...what's up RU-vid. People have two thumbs? Why not a second option for both thumbs up. You know, like Siskel and Ebert. This was worthy!
Saw that same group same year at the Montreal Jazz Festival in an outdoor concert in the streets (I was so close I could almost smell his beer) and taped the whole show on a Panasonic walkman...so the cassette is somewhere in my house. In late December 94 I was visiting my brother in L.A. and they were showing people who died that year on TV and I saw Danny Gatton scrolling among them and could'nt believe it!
Danny was an amazing guitarist. Even when he was clowning around (which he had a habit of doing :-) you could tell he truly loved playing. A tragic loss for his family and the music community
The first time i watched Austin City Limits was by accident. I was going thru channels and saw this guy playing his huitar with a towel over the neck and i thought WTF. So, being hard headed rock guy, i watched with a smirk on my face(visions of Page, Gilmour, Beck an other guitar heroes danced in my head) and as i saw Danny Gatton, honestly, i couldnt believe how he sounded! The way he muted strings and then made slide guitar sounds(which i didnt know you could do) I was mesmerized. His right hand barely moved but his fingers sure did and his left hand slid up and down the neck of that beautiful telecaster. Needless to say and gratefully, Danny Gatton opened my eyes to a whole new world of music and of playing. Truly a master and genius and I have the utmost respect for an artist that stays on the path his passion takes him, forgetting about big music, trends or even genres. He did HIS thing. And when you have people like the guitar heroes who are more recongized have the adoration they have for Danny Gatton- well, you have a guitar player's guitar player. Truly one of the masters of guitar sound!
@@DavidSmith-ss1cg wow, I had no idea he mentored Joe bonamassa!? This why I like commenting on guitars who blew me away- someone undoubtedly provides more interesting info! Thanks!
I don't know if I'm more impressed by the beer trick ... or the fact that he managed to play an extended solo upside-down directly after with a freaking towel wrapped around the fretboard... (!)
I adored Danny and miss him dearly. He was one of the very best. But would someone please tell me how one guy could shred so hot on both sax and piano? Bill Holloman was incredible!
I'm sixty now and thougt I have seen all and nothing could surprise me anymore and than this! I'm a guitarist myself and sit here shaking my head about D. G.'s playing. Never saw something like that. That's really crazy! That towell thing... I'm from Germany so take my apologizes that I never heared of him. And not to forget that sax player! I love this buzzing and jarring sound! And than he does things I've never heared before (2:37). Very cool! And than his hair! This is what I love about YT: It's like a great big chest to rummage around and than fishing out one and another treasure from time to time. Let's see what I find next!
RU-vid - the world's largest rabbit hole! Yeah, terrible thing when Danny left the planet without experiencing real recognition - truly "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitar Player." Thanks for commenting!
Slowhand59. Greetings from Ireland, you and I are the same age. I'd heard of Danny Gatton, but i've never seen him do that before. Someone here in the comments section mentioned Roy Buchanan. Check him out if you haven't before.
It's hard not to both love this and cry at the same time. I wish someone could have reached Danny before he made the decision to take his own life. The Humbler will live on in my memory to my last dying day.
I miss Danny and Billie. In my younger years of I danced with Danny's Band. It was the best time I had, especially knowing Danny and Billie. They were the Best!!! The Dancer
God Bless you Danny - I saw you in Toronto Canada wayyyyyyyy back & you autographed my GRETSCH guitar pick guard - gracious man -- gone too toooo soon ---
A family friend and the guitarist in my mom’s band (the Swing Riders) in the Maryland/DC area in the late 70s gave me vhs copies of ACL performances to expose me to great players when I started playing guitar around age 12. One tape had this particular legendary set and I was so blown away at the time. I thought bill holloman reminded me of John Candy from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles lol. Danny was at the height of his powers and tone and was just a one-man wrecking crew. Add in his band, and nobody could stop him. I still grin every time he says, “that’s as high as it goes”. R.I.P. Danny. Best fusion of styles and best telecaster player ever.
Forgive me for the multiple languid comments you guys but this is Danny after all! There's nothing any of us could say to even begin to do justice to not only him and this band and this performance! One thing I will say is that for God's sake it's super notable that that brilliant saxophonist in addition to reaching super high notes and somehow going an octave below or an octave half below and hitting those base notes in between roofing and then mimicking a lead guitar players muted sound much like Al di meola or Steve morris, and then in the same concert in the same video Danny does the muted picking not only with a beer bottle as a slide with a half a beer still in it, but he does that and so much more with a f****** towel on his left hand he even plays harmonics with a towel and his left hand?! Wtf?! Love you forever Danny thank you for all you gave us and left us man
Many years ago I saw Robert Gordon perform in a club setting. He had a great band with two guitarists. I didn't know then Danny Gatton was one of them but I'll never forget when grabbed a beer bottle and started playing slide....and here he is putting the sham wow guy to shame! He was one of the greats. Sad he never got his due but he left one hell of a legacy.
Got to see him and his band yrs ago.. hot as hell nite..couldn’t stand cigarettes so i stood outside emergency doors and my God what a night to hear DG and crew was magic…only wish i saw him more..RIP
reat show. very subtle guitar part going on during the sax solo. these guys played very well. it occurs to me that they had played together many times.
Lucky guy! Never got to see him, but I do own a pick of his. My buddy(and bandmate) actually did some shows on guitar here in TO (after Gatton's days) with Robert Gordon
Please step aside Clarance Clemmons and let Bill Holoman show the way!! 😄 Danny's brilliance will long, long be remembered by anyone whose every aspired to be a master of their craft!
Poor Danny! Depression is like a runaway train with no way to stop it. Funny thing to me is that he loved cars as much as he loved music. Having a lot of talent is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I don't know why.
the whole story is quite a bit more harrowing, and somewhat calculated. He thought his family would be taken care of with insurance but in fact it wasn't. How do I know this? I was good friends with his daughter for years in college and held many of his guitars including the one in this video.
What a great band. I saw Danny live in Philadelphia one night at The Chestnut Caberet and it was as rockin' a show as you can ever imagine. Danny killed it. And he played a full bottle of beer for slide guitar. That poor Fender Tele. Rest In Power, Danny Gatton. We miss you.
I can remember sitting at home on a Saturday night and this came on and as I was about to change the channel I heard one of the bands outstanding musicians do something that made me put the changer down. When the next song came on I grabbed the remote because there wasn’t any song that I could think of that would’ve been better than the previous song I’d just heard. And once again, I heard something that made me stand down and sat the remote back on the table and was floored once again. This went on the entire hour and just when I thought I’d seen it all Mr Gatton did the beer song 🔥Gone much too soon RIP
I saw Danny Gatton play live one summer night in Quebec City, many, many years ago. Never heard of the guy before. Needless to say, the very next day I went to buy his CD at the nearest music store.
Correct on all points man! As for danny, those of us who have hurt him or got lucky enough to see him, when he was alive, you know it's just one of those rare things that it touches you so deeply you know he's not only a great musician but someone who touches you with their own heart and soul, it just happens to be through that particular instrument.. I've always been a classical fan of old Bach and Ferdinand sore the original Spanish type of guitar music, and also later Richie Blackmore the scorpions and especially Randy rhodes.. but I'm so fortunate maybe because I was such a religious reader of guitar player magazine back in the day, I found out about Danny right away.. and Jesus God lordy Christ he is just one of a kind! Oh and yes, you are also right about the sax man for God's sake I love a lot of them but this guy is definitely top five I've ever heard..
Danny became a good friend after I'd subbed for him w/Joe Stanley & the Saxons at a DC embassy gig due to his having to arrive late. I hadn't heard him prior and as an average picker, I struggled through the Saxon's rockhouse repertoire. Danny came in after the first set, shook my hand & thanked me, and plugged in. After the first song hearing him, I slunk out in shame and threw up in the bathroom...we were friends until his unfortunate passing.
I bet a lot of people never knew Bill holloman is the man who was honking on the sax on those classics for chic Le freak I want your love and more Good friend of Nile yep Rogers through the years
I have heard plenty of Danny Gatton, but I have Never seen anyone play guitar with a towel on the fretboard. That sax player did some interesting things too.
@@joshferguson9703 I will have to listen to Lester Young. I gravitate towards rock and classical music, so I have yet to hear many stellar sax players.
Damn is that Lenny picket s grampa. Wailing the sax. The first note. Or 2 he played I saw him bopping his head. I absolutely knew he was gonna crush it Danny gatton. Us extremely famous. Amongst players who knew. But the sax guy was. Amazing
I'm guessing It's been said many times, but, Danny plays better with that towel over the neck, than any youtube guitarist plays without the towel, on their best day.
Saw him play in Leesburg, Va. back in the day. He and the band were set set up on a flatbed trailer. While he was playing, and being a guitar player myself , I remember thinking , wait , how did he just do what he did while playing? I was standing 15 ' from him. He was lightning fast in his volume, tone adjustments and string bending. Also remember him checking my ID at the Crazy House bar in Georgetown, Wash DC.
