"I just love being on the road playing music. If I have a guitar in my hand and somewhere to go I am happy!"

Danny Bryant: Pure Blues Obsession

Danny Bryant was born in Hertfordshire England in July 1980. First hailed as a ‘young guitar prodigy’ Danny began playing guitar aged 15, turning professional just three years later, and in the last decade has paid his dues clocking up endless miles of travelling and approximately two thousand shows in many countries around the world. After a decade of hard toil he now gets the recognition he so well deserves, being acknowledged by those in the business as one of the cream of the crop of this generation of blues artists, ably backed by his rhythm section of his father Ken on bass and Trevor Barr on drums.

In a career that has seen Danny perform alongside such names as Joe Cocker, Carlos Santana, Greg Allman, Buddy Guy, Peter Green, and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor to mention just a few, Danny and his band have steadily carved a huge and loyal fan base around the world. So far the band have released six internationally acclaimed CDs, their fourth release ‘Days Like This’ featured a stunning duet with special guest blues legend Walter Trout. The band’s first album for Rounder/Continental "Live" hit the I-Tunes top ten blues charts in 6 countries all across Europe. In March 2008 the band released "Black and White" a commercial and critical success, as the album garnered glowing approval from Europe’s leading music press and guitar magazines. His live DVD and CD "Night Life" released on Jazzhaus records (2012) and now British-bred blues rock guitarist, will release his hotly tipped new studio album “Hurricane” on Monday 6^th May.

Interview by Michael Limnios

Danny, when was your first desire to become involved in the blues & who were your first idols?
I first got a really strong desire to play the guitar around the age of fifteen, my parents took me to see Walter Trout play a show in Cambridge and that really lit the fire. There was always good music playing around the home and I think that I was always aware of it as a kid growing up. I remember very early on them playing me records by people such as Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan and they formed the basis of some of my earliest influences. After that I started discovering music on my own and it opened a magic world to me of Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan etc.

What was the first gig you ever went to & what were the first songs you learned?
The first gig was that Walter Trout show in Cambridge I mentioned back in 1995 when I was fifteen. As far as my own playing goes I started by learning simple chords and riffs. I remember one of the first songs I ever learned to play was "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" by Bob Dylan and funnily enough seventeen years later I have just recorded it for the first time on my new live cd/dvd !

Any of blues standards have any real personal feelings for you & what are some of your favorite?
I love slow minor key blues songs, so if I had to pick a standard I would have to say "As The Years Go Passing By" by Albert King would be at the top of list, I think that song has so much emotion in it.

Do you think that your music comes from the heart, the brain or the soul
Most of all I would say the heart and soul. To me feeling in music is everything, I don't care so much about technique I just want to be able to play with as much emotion as I can. Of course I must use a bit of my brain to tell my hand where to find the right notes! My favorite music is always the stuff that has the most feeling in it and that’s what I try for.

What does the BLUES mean to you & what does Blues offered you?
Blues music is such an enormous part of my life, I would almost go as far as to say it almost fills my every waking moment, and has done really ever since I first fell in love with it as a teenager. I love this music so much, I love to play it of course, but also to read about it, to study it and learn it’s history. My house is filled with framed photos of my blues heroes and they inspire me every single day. As far as what it has given to me, it has given me a career that I love, a living, it has let me visit so many places, meet so many people and make so many friends, and I would be lost without it.

What do you learn about yourself from music? How do you describe your sound & your progress
I have always been a shy person, especially growing up, so music gave me a way to express myself, so in a way it almost taught how to be myself rather than someone I thought people would want me to be. I would describe my music as blues/rock (although I don't listen to much rock music) because it does have that rockier edge to it, but also I love to play ballads, so it’s a mixture of many things really.

How/where do you get inspiration for your songs & who were your mentors in songwriting?
I find inspiration in lots of different areas. It may be hearing another artist’s song for the first time, and wanting to create a similar feel or emotion, or could be something personal that's happening to me or somebody I know, or even just something I have read. I love to listen to songwriters; my biggest influences are Bruce Springsteen, John Hiatt and Bob Dylan.

Would you like to tell something about making the new album “Hurricane”? 

The songs are the result of hard work and have gained considerable complexity.

Are there any memories from Walter Trout, which you’d like to share with us?
Walter has always been so special to me, I think of him almost like a second Father. He has given me so much love and support and has taught me so much as a musician. One very special memory is when he recorded on my "Days Like This" album, he came into the studio straight after a show and we started recording at 2am in the morning. It was very special, we got the whole song recorded in one take and then we just sat and talked the night away. He refused to accept any type of payment, all he would accept was a glass of apple juice and a cream cake!

Which of historical blues personalities would you like to meet?
Ha....too many to list them all. To make things easier, if I had to pick just three from a list of people no longer with us I would say Muddy Waters, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

You have played with many musicians, which are mentioned to be a legend. It must be hard, but would you try to give top 3, which gigs have been the biggest experiences for you? And why? Of all the people you’ve meeting with, who do you admire the most?
The three most memorable shows for me so far, I would say are: 1.) Pistoia Blues Festival in Italy, because it has such an incredible history, everyone from Muddy Waters to John Lee Hooker to Bob Dylan have played there and it is in a beautiful market square that is filled with around 5 thousand people...2.) Bospop, which is a really big pop festival in the Netherlands, the year we played the lineup included ZZ Top, Neil Young, Santana and Buddy Guy and many many more spread over just a couple of days. ..3.) The show we did in Holland last year for the recording of our new dvd/cd we had people travel from all over the world and it was a very special night. I have been lucky to meet many of my heroes but the one that sticks in my mind the most is meeting Buddy Guy and riding with him and the promoter in a car at a festival about seven or eight years ago, it is something I will never forget!

What do you think is the main characteristic of you personality that made you a musician?
I think, like I mentioned earlier, I am shy and music has always given me a way to express myself. From the moment I picked up a guitar it was pure obsession that has also helped me a lot!

Who are your favorite blues artists, both old and new? What was the last record you bought?
I have so many, here are some of my all time favourites. BB King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Hubert Sumlin, Walter Trout, Ronnie Earl, Albert King, Popa Chubby, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Honey Boy Edwards.
I tend to buy a couple of new albums a week, the most recent was Magic Slim's new album. The cd that has had the most impact on me in the last year is John Hiatt's latest album "Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hyms" I would recommend it to everyone.

Some music styles can be fads but the blues is always with us.  Why do think that is? Give one wish for the BLUES
I think blues music is always with us because it is what I call "real music" it is about human expression, people's good times and hard times. So as long people are feeling these emotions the blues will remain a constant power that people feel they can relate to. I would like to see blues get more mainstream media coverage, especially here in the UK, it would be good to see it featured more on TV for example.

What are your plans for the future & do you have a message for the Greek fans?
We have a busy schedule this year playing in many countries across Europe in promotion of our brand new album. We would really love to come and play in Greece, it seems such a beautiful place and I really hope that we can make that happen sometime soon.

I presume that big part of your life is somehow connected with blues. Do you have any hobbies, which do not have anything to do with music?
You're right- such a massive part of my life is connected with blues, that it does take up most of my time. When I am off I like to play a little bit of golf (I am very bad at it) my wife and I also have a little dog that we enjoy taking for walks etc, I live near nice countryside so it’s good for that. Most of my hobbies are connected with music, I collect guitars (I have 22 of them) I read about blues and I watch DVD’s and listen to music and go to the pub!

What turns you on? Happiness is……
I just love being on the road playing music. If I have a guitar in my hand and somewhere to go I am happy!

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