It’s always interesting to me to talk to a musician or composer or performer outside of my typical genres of pop, indie, top 40 or alternative music. I find the people who do contemporary updates on versions of classic ballads/pop music from 30’s on forward or country-western (not typically what is on my list of music genres) is often interesting and even challenges me to open up my mind, my heart and my musical ear to something new– often with great results. I loved talking to Brian Culbertson & suddenly found myself back intensely into jazz for a long time. I found a couple of R&B singers who were so great.. and I wound up falling back into my R&B and soul groove (yeah yeah– it’s true. When I was in high school, my best friend was Japanese and she loved R&B and got me hooked on it — as a few other genres too. She made sure I knew how to dance too. That’s what BFF’s are for).
While I love rock, metal, pop, top 40 and indie/alt, it’s not often I get to talk to someone who plays eclectic guitar. Alternative for sure– but it’s sans vocals so that takes away your ability to get a story from the music easily. What it requires you to do is dig into the instrumental elements of the music and really LISTEN!! Got that? Listening is required with an intensity that might overwhelm one at times or might take you a while to dig into a CD but it’s worth the time when you are dealing with a guitarist who likens his music to a mix of Pink Floyd + Debussy (the classical French composer). So you get both ethereal runs on the guitar and almost transparent tones from a very specific type of guitar as well as harder edges and more unusual destinations musically courtesy of Pink Floyd influences. This is the music that is Danny Klass.
Daniel Klass with his guitar–Arrivee Orchestra Model with a Venetian cutaway
Who is Danny Klass? A former So. California native now teaching in Iowa (yes, he really did move to Iowa) where he is teaching foreign languages — one of them is Arabic!! His passion is music and we had this interesting conversation about classical composers and how he felt such kinship with Debussy — known primarily for his works for the piano–! I dove right into that one because I played a lot of Debussy on the piano because I was also taking music classes (history and also the actual music) for my Masters Degree. We shared an understanding or an empathy for what Debussy was communicating but when Klass tossed in the Pink Floyd he got my attention. So the podcast might not be my traditional run of musical content– but it’s still very interesting because it’s outside the territory I usually walk!
Danny Klass, Musician, Composer and a whole lot more! PODCAST!
His CDS are available on CDbaby.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DannyKlass
Days and Nights on the Boulevard of Kings
Subjunctive
For the Poets
Hear these songs live right now on Youtube.com
Here’s the newest two songs he has posted on youtube.com
Danny Klass has an amazing background and perspective. The cool thing is music is easily listened to in the car, via smart devices or mp3 player and it doesn’t distract you if you are listening to it at work or at dinner. It’s much more than background music though– the music has direction and it’s certainly sharp as a tack.
Social Platforms!
https://www.facebook.com/danny.klass
Facebook Fan page
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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great interview, and an insight into you too? didn’t realise you were a musician;)