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Amber Dispositions (John Danley) 2006-CDAmber Dispositions represents John Danley's 7th release on his own, Nashville based, A Priori label. This recording introduces a collection of instrumental, fingerstyle, acoustic guitar music. Ambience, rhythm and melodic development remain significant to the conceptual development of this project. The album showcases fifteen original pieces of solo guitar music intended to introduce a fusion of techniques and a stylistic blending of musical genres.JOHN DANLEY is an experimental, fingerstyle guitarist who composes and performs his own blend of acoustic, instrumental music. John has developed a style of guitar playing by using a housepainter's paintbrush to add percussive sounds to the instrument while simultaneously creating colorful harmonies and distinctive melodic hooks. His exposure includes extensive airplay on syndicated radio stations focusing on folk, new age, acoustic, jazz, blues and world music. John Danley is a regular contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Public Radio International’s To The Best of Our Knowledge a performing arts entertainer and composer of music for film and television (including TBS soundtracks for cable). He has performed at college universities, festivals, art galleries, workshops and has shared the stage with such artists as David Gray, Iris DeMent, Reese Wynans, Cheryl Wheeler, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Recent nominations include The Nashville Scene's "Best Guitar Hero" 2002 and solo guitar album Cemeteries, Missed Trains and Blue Skies and solo guitar song of the year (Hickory), 2004 JPFolks Music Awards. Amber Dispositions represents his 7th solo release.
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Durable Americana (John Danley) 2005-CD"In a culture dominated by market place values, in which musical conformity is rewarded and individuality shunned, we respect and defend the sanctity of the individual and his or her right (indeed, if he or she is being honest) to create music true to the uniqueness of his or her personality"... Ran Blake, excerpt from "The Primacy of the Ear"Durable Americana represents John Danley's 6th release on his own, Nashville based, A Priori label. This recording introduces a collection of instrumental, fingerstyle, acoustic guitar music with an emphasis on entertainment value. Specific tunes on this recording allude to the deconstruction of manufactured accessibility in a consumer culture. There is nothing specifically "alt-country" about this album. Durable Americana is an instrumental guitar manifesto concerned with an analysis of corporate marketing, social satire, and the DIY (Dee Eye Why?) phenomenon. Part pickin', part capitalist, pop-culture critique. Socio-political structures are examined and questions arise such as, "Why is the annual income of your average hillbilly wannabe more predominate than the gross earnings for the entire graduating class of Julliard in the last decade?" If you're expecting traditional folk music, don't. This ain't Nebraska farmhouse music reminiscent of freshly baked pies in the window sill and some derivative accent from the deep south circa 1887. No banjos and mandolins appear on this record and no producer named "Tex" is involved in the mixing or mastering of these tunes. And although vinyl is hip, this is a laser disc product that takes full advantage of the insidious advances in technological evolution. All expenses are paid by the performer and no money is borrowed from Vivendi-Universal or any specific banking enterprise. Note: This recording is not meant to nurture reductive, fatalistic viewpoints based on current economic systems. The effort is to challenge aesthetic proclivites and recognize the constructed origins of consumer values.
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Drifting Into Oblivion (John Danley) 2004-CD*Nominated for JPFolks guitar album award.John Danley's 5th independent release introduces an eclectic collection of instrumental, acoustic guitar music with particular focus on the themes of alcoholism, depression, isolation, addiction, fear, hope, and recovery (in memory of former Boston Phoenix staff writer and author Caroline Knapp: "Drinking: A Love Story"). Many of the initial tunes embody a feeling of disillusionment, pain and an unresolvable sense of spiritual ambiguity. The disc begins with "Unmaking of the World" (taken from the subtitle of an Elaine Scarry Book based on chronic pain). The terrifying repetition of addictive behavior and its ensuing insanity can be heard in "Mortal Floods". "Philip's Glasses" pays homage to the minimalist, film composer. "Christmas for Argyle" deals with the unfortunate suicide of a Nashville musician. Eventually, alienation and loneliness are lifted into a realm of self-discovery and redemption as demonstrated in "11th Step", "Europe After the Rain" and "A Dream of Breathing". It is with these tunes that the objective idealism of reflection and recovery become a reality. "Europe After the Rain" is based on a painting by the surrealist Max Ernst and suggests the wake of the aftermath. "Etude" represents lament.
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