Danny Gatton Concerts Setlist

Danny Gatton was an virtuoso guitarist who fused blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country into a style he called "redneck jazz," born September 4, 1945, in Washington, D.C. Nicknamed "The Telemaster" and dubbed by peers "the world's greatest unknown guitarist," Gatton earned a Grammy nomination in 1991 and was later ranked among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists, admired by everyone from Les Paul to Slash.

Gatton started playing at age nine, the son of a rhythm guitarist, and by his teens was already gigging with jazz outfit the Offbeats before working as a Nashville session musician. Back in Washington through the '70s, he built a local following, releasing his debut American Music in 1975 and Redneck Jazz in 1978 with pedal steel legend Buddy Emmons.

He spent years on the road backing singers like Roger Miller and rock and roll revivalist Robert Gordon, earning the nickname "The Humbler" for his ability to outplay other guitarists in jam sessions.

His career hit new heights in 1987 with Unfinished Business, named one of the decade's best albums by Guitar World, followed by his major-label debut 88 Elmira Street (1991), which featured a cover of The Simpsons theme. In his final years, Gatton turned toward straight jazz, releasing New York Stories (1992) on Blue Note and Relentless (1994) alongside organist Joey DeFrancesco.

He died by suicide at his Newburg, Maryland farm on October 4, 1994, at age 49, leaving behind a catalog still celebrated by guitarists as one of the most versatile in American music.