Danny Ross

MERCURY LOUNGE

217 E. Houston St. (212-260-4700)—Dec. 10: The singer, songwriter, and pianist Danny Ross has a personal narrative to add to the nascent street protests—he was recently laid off from his longtime staff position for Congressman Jerrold Nadler. His “Occupy the Holidays” show employs a horn section to deliver a blast of good-time, R. & B.-tinged rock and roll.
- The New Yorker

Danny Ross won't let unemployment stop him from rocking. Due to federal budget cuts, the musician just lost his job in Congressman Jerrold Nadler's office. He's just written a rousing letter to friends, many in similar straits, encouraging them to make their dissatisfaction known. "I express my voice through our rock 'n' roll band and horns," he wrote, asking pals to join him at a free "Occupy CMJ" showcase at the Living Room on Ludlow St. on Saturday night.

Ross told us he hopes his music will serve as a soundtrack for the Occupy Wall Street movement, which he ardently supports. "The struggle is not being articulated by artists, and it's a goal of mine to try to be a voice for the struggle," adds the artist, who's working on a new record with former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg.


- New York Daily News

NAME: Danny Ross
ORIGIN: Long Island, NY
MEMBERS: Danny Ross
QUIZ VICTIM: The man himself, Danny Ross
CHECK 'EM OUT: http://www.dannyrossmusic.com/

You play with a nine-piece band and horn section. How did you pull that together? And what's it like to play in a group that large?

Indeed, it's a large band. We operate like a Shaker bohemian commune in the 1880s - growing wheat and vegetables, raising goats, building shelter. There's no personal possession, just all of us living off the land organically, man. You know what I'm saying? You know what I mean?

I have an Excel spreadsheet of musicians, and I call them with my smart phone.

What has been your favorite experience playing live?

Last month we finish a killer 90 minute set at Washington, DC's Iota. The crowd is screaming, and I'm feeling like a million bucks. In fact, I'm feeling so good, I mistake a pile of hard equipment for a staircase and tumble headfirst into a hundred fans. Some dude yells "Almost a perfect show! Maybe take off your Raybans next time." Damn it.

I had a few other random moments of glory like opening for Paula Cole (despite weeping backstage with a bottle of wine hearing her dulcet tones) and Lower East Side Residencies at The Living Room and Pianos. But speaking of big bands, we played the album One Way in its entirety with a seventeen-piece orchestra at NYC's St. Mark's Church for the release. Though, for the record, I got into my first fight ever that night. With a bouncer. I lost.

You've said of music, "If it came out after 1975, the statistical odds are that I won't like it very much." What do you look for in music, and what do you think is missing from music today?

I'm attracted to natural instruments, authentic performances and risk-taking. It's very easy to hide behind a slick production, so I focus on the hard parts first, which happen to be the most basic - What are you saying? How are you saying it? The Beatles paid attention to this and also took risks in their chord changes, rhythms and harmonies; Bob Dylan paid attention to this andtook risks with his lyrical narratives. They both composed and performed art in their medium with authenticity, ambition and real struggle for truth and simplicity, which is why their records stand up.

I also prefer Rock, Folk and Soul records from the 50s through the 70s because it was the golden age of those genres. The best songs from the best time of my favorite styles. I know there are elements of hip-hop, electronic and indie that are really blooming right now, but those really aren't my preferred sounds at the moment.

You're a rocker by night, but by day, you're a staffer for U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler. Have those worlds ever collided?

Worlds colliding. You mean like Seinfeld's "Relationship George" vs. "Independent George?" Or do you mean that strip when Superman finally meets Batman?

Yes, actually we hosted a Benefit Concert for 9/11 Environmental Action, a group of downtown community members affected by the dust and contaminants of the disaster. Congressman Nadler was great enough to be on the Honorary Committee and attend the concert for which we raised a few thousand dollars. The World Trade Center is in the Congressman's district so our office is very much involved in these issues. We also played a show with "Obama Girl" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

One Way, your newest album, contains an interesting juxtaposition. It's you at a fork in the road, looking left, while the arrow in the album artwork points right. Was this an intentional choice, or do you just defy convention by nature?

Exactly, I'm a provocateur. Just when I'm telling you one thing, I'm really meaning something else. Like right now for example - what am I getting at? Whose the real Danny Ross? Why am I putting out awful records - Is it because they're actually masterpieces? See, you don't know cause I'm wily like that. How many fingers am I holding up? Who shot JFK? You tell me. Boom. I just blew your mind. - ASCAP Playback Magazine

If you've ever thought to yourself "they just don't make them like Joe Jackson anymore, do they?" (and it's totally reasonable that you would think that) then you might also be charmed by Danny Ross' classic pop ways.

Over the past few years, Ross has done well for himself. He's made some cute videos, he's had a few residencies at the Mercury Lounge and he really earned himself a record deal with music industry legend Danny Goldberg, who once managed some band called Nirvana and worked with that group Led Zeppelin.

Ross' debut album will be out next year, and he's playing a Christmas show at the Mercury Lounge on Saturday. But don't think hanging out with music industry legends has gone to his head -- he's still a total mensch good enough to answer a few of Nonstop Sound's questions and gamely accept some ribbing.

Nonstop Sound: Who in the world gave you a record deal? How did that happen?

Danny Ross: "Believe me, I asked myself the same question. Especially since Yoko-inspired primal scream bands/ interpretive dancers aren't exactly burning up the iTunes charts. Though you should hear our Nickelback cover. In all sincerity, I had the great privilege of developing a relationship with Danny Goldberg, an industry legend with a true artist-friendly philosophy, and we'll be releasing a record on his new Ammal Records in Spring 2012."

NS: How are things going with the album? Are you working with anyone? How’s close are you to being done?

DR: "Well, I'm working to finish over 20 new songs as we speak. What I'm interested in now is capturing the immediacy of the live show and recording our nine-piece band with horns in the '60s style – to carefully craft the songs, rehearse the guys, track it in three or four takes live and move on. Woody Allen's philosophy to write and direct a film every year definitely struck a chord. Productivity is king — the laws of statistics dictate you'll have a few keepers in time. The flip side is that many artists have issues with self-editing. The hope is to have a Darkness on the Edge of Town situation with the luxury of choosing the best material from many options."

NS: What direction is this thing heading, songwriting and production wise?

DR: "There's no question that the songs are rooted in five years of working the daily grind. In our daily routines and in the struggle to survive, how do you maintain relationships and find the humanity and urgency of existence? Certainly these songs are part of a longer tradition of working music, but they also speak specifically to the current mess we're living through. As for sound – we're shooting for live, energetic, mid-'60s-based songs in the R&B, soul and folk-rock traditions. Think Rubber Soul, The Byrds, The Band's self-titled record, Sam Cooke, even Elvis. Dark-sounding rhythm section, jangly guitars, rich harmonies and vocals, all with grit and authenticity."

NS: So you play with an honest-to-goodness Big Band. What made you decide to go in that direction? How do you keep a band like that on the payroll when you’re still in the up-and-coming category?

DR: "Big Band probably implies The Glenn Miller Orchestra or the Lindy Hop, but it's true, we do in fact have a large group. And that's only because my ears prefer a big rock 'n roll sound -- guitars, pianos, organs, horns, percussion, strings, reverb. Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen. That's why I'm very lucky to break even financially, but it's worth it. New York has some of the best musicians straight out of school, why not put them to work? How's that for a jobs plan, Newt? Paid for by the Committee to Forever Silence Danny Ross."

NS: So, you recently launched the Laid Off Tour. Uh, how did that come about?

DR: "As of last month I was actually laid off from my day job working for a U.S. congressman due to severe budget cuts from House leadership. I figured I could either stay home and mope, or go out on the road and use this platform to address the issues plaguing our millennial generation. In the process I ended up with stronger ties to friends and supporters with evolving perspectives, even if a few ideological folks didn't want to participate in the conversation. It's the job of artists to take risks and hold up a mirror, and unfortunately we haven't had too many role models lately."

NS: And now that you’ve been laid off, how have you been occupying your time when you’re not working on the record?

DR: If you're implying I've been sitting back, eating Puffed Cheetos watching Arrested Development DVDs while collecting government checks, sir, that would be wrong AND illegal... Does NBC give dental? My resume is attached as a .TXT file."

NS: You tend to go all out on your live shows. What do you have planned for the Mercury Lounge gig?

"So much, let's see – midgets dressed as reindeer, the live birthing of kittens, the ghost of '80s-era James Brown. Oh, and singing. I'll be singing."

(Danny Ross will play Mercury Lounge on - NBC Nonstop Sound

March 2011
By Nancy Chow

Danny Ross shines as a musical chameleon as he tackles a variety of genres in his debut “One Way.” Well-versed in classic rock, he inherits a clear Beatles influence that runs through the tracks accompanied by touches of contemporary alt-country artists such as Ryan Adams and Wilco as well as ‘60s soul that coalesce into dynamic, lush piano-pop. Although he cites the Fab Four’s “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” as musical models, Ross’s “One Way,” with its eclectic nature, may just be his “White Album,” a pleasing presentation of a wide range of fine songwriting.

Wearing the mask of a balladeer, Ross vividly belts out heartfelt lyrics and charms listeners with his impressive band backing swooning melodies, but he can easily remove that guise to dexterously pick up the pace with more upbeat, rocking songs for good measure. “One Way,” the result of a worthy four-year endeavor, is currently available for a pay-what-you-like price. Hopefully fans will not have to wait as long for a follow-up, but in the meantime, Ross will be recording and releasing a live album to tide listeners over.

How has your songwriting progressed throughout the years? When you write songs, do you lean towards ballads or more rocking tunes?

Whereas my very first EP “Introducing Danny Ross!” sounded like my piano-pop influences as a teenager — Ben Folds, Billy Joel, etc. — I wanted to write a record that would sound like the sophisticated music I am listening to now a record that would introduce my folk and chamber pop tendencies, taking cues from Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Wilco, Ryan Adams, Sufjan Stevens and Bob Dylan, all the while learning how to arrange from Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson. I started the project in college, creating my own major, popular music composition and performance. Four years later, “One Way” was released.

Since its release last year, I’ve been mainly digging on jangly ‘60s folk-rock (The Byrds, The Kinks, The Band and Paul Simon) and ‘60s soul (Sam Cooke, Otis Redding with Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello following in their footsteps). In the future, I foresee myself delving more into the twang of old-school country in the vein of Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt and Merle Haggard. But the Fab Four will always be the model, particularly “Rubber Soul,”“Revolver”-era.

I think my songs are basically evenly split into ballads and high-energy rock or pop songs. But there’s no science to it, and it’s certainly not on purpose. The instrument you choose to write on probably has something to do with it. Also, piano does lend itself to monster ballads like “November Rain.”

How do you approach a live show? How do you and your nine-piece band fit on some of the smaller stages in the city?!

Well for the “One Way” release show, for example, we rented out the historic St. Mark’s Church on Second Avenue and played the entire album straight through with a 17-piece band and orchestra for a few hundred people. For Mercury Lounge gigs, we’ve got a nine-piece and horn section we’re calling it the Saturday Night Band. For the Pianos residency, we did a basic rhythm section, or if it’s an intimate venue I could do a solo show on piano and guitar or with a string quartet. That’s the beauty of leading your own band — no limits! Of course there are plenty of cons too, like paying for everything yourself. And not having Lars Ulrich to spar with.

Why did you decide to do a live album?

After “One Way” was released, I decided to really focus on the art of putting together a great rock ‘n’ roll show. I also wanted to make fun music after such a serious effort. If making an album is like creating a film — taking your time to create a beautiful, cinematic production — then the live show is like theater. You have to build a rapport with your audience through interaction, humor, drama and ultimately a musically great performance. It’s also an excuse for me to be ridiculous, wear absurd costumes and run around like a maniac.

So whereas the record is a composed, deliberate piece of art, the live show is visceral and spontaneous. Most people wouldn’t know that side of me by hearing “One Way,” so the live album seemed like a natural next move.

"One Way" is a very diverse album with a wide spectrum of influences. What ties these set of songs together or what was the logic behind these selection of songs?

To be perfectly honest, my goal was to throw everything against the wall and see what stuck. I think I had a bit of a complex actually. I really wanted to prove to others, but mostly to myself, that I was a serious writer and capable of writing well in all of my favorite genres. So that’s why you hear rock, pop, alt-country, folk and wall-of-sound orchestration, all on one record.

That being said, there are some common threads. The music connects all the way through like Brian Wilson’s “Smile” or The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper,” and it hopefully takes you on a journey. You’re also hear - Deli Magazine

July 2011

Danny Ross has been crooning his melodic, Beatles-esque music for years. He composes sincere little ballads that are at once ambitiously classic (horns! lush piano arrangements!) but also casual and fresh. Ross and his band are taking over The Living Room for a residency in July, and have become veterans of downtown venues. What makes Ross unique, perhaps, aside from his virtuosic musical skill, is his double life as a political staffer/rocker, a fact which once tickled the New York Post.

Stream his newest album, One Way, on his site here.

Huff Post New York: How would you describe your music?
Danny Ross: Imagine a place where the sun is always shining..

Uh huh…
And yet cloudy days are inescapable. A person who is light and free, and yet eats a stack of pancakes…

I'm with you so far…
A forest that is thick and lush with vegetation, but razed bare by greedy corporate forces. A reality show that was scripted, or a tiny person with really long legs. These are metaphors that describe my music almost exactly.

Who and or What are your inspirations?
Primarily the great pop composers (McCartney, Wilson, Simon, Costello, Newman, Gershwin), 60's r&b legends (Cooke, Redding, The Band), masters of folk (Dylan, Bruce, Cash, Seeger), country and jazz alongside a new interest in world music (bossa nova, afrobeat) and classical. There’s a lot of disparate influences here, and I consider it my life’s work to meld my favorite styles together in a clear, unique voice.

Who are you listening to a lot these days?
Besides the bulldozers outside of my apartment?
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Yes, in addition to those
At this very moment I’m pretty heavy into Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, Abbey Road, Brazilian Tropicalia, the Beethoven symphonies and Thelonious Monk. But I just spent a year listening to nothing but Springsteen, The Band and Beatles remastered. As far as contemporary music, I’m always into Sufjan Stevens, Ryan Adams, dig the new MGMT record (thought it gets hated on) and Deerhunter.

Where do you live?
I live now in the lovely Park Slope in Brownstone Brooklyn. Just blocks from Prospect Park and some of New York’s best restaurants and bars. Contact your broker now!

Actually, outside its stereotype as “Stroller City,” which is 100% true, Park Slope has a very high proportion of twenty-something artists, songwriters, and creative-minded people. There tends to be a cultural shift that started in Williamsburg years ago moving down toward South Brooklyn. North Brooklyn is obviously still vibrant, just grimy.

You got any favorite Park Slope haunts?
On 5th Avenue, Miriam has an amazing brunch – try the Israeli breakfast. Perch, Crespella, 7th Ave Donut Shop are all delish and cheap. Mission Delores, Beer Table, Great Lakes have yummy craft brews and jukeboxes. Bar 4 and Barbes are great music venues.

Anywhere someone will, when you walk in, give you the 'usual'?
I’ve been going to Cocoa Bar on 7th Ave and 3rd Street almost daily for 2 years. They know I want a small skim latte. There are no words necessary. Staff actually come out to the shows and I shot pictures for the One Way album in their garden.

What do you do when you're not playing music?
Since finishing school in 2006, I’ve been working by day for Congressman Jerrold Nadler and the good people of New York’s 8th Congressional District.

Wow! Does your office know about your double life?
They do, and thankfully they’re incredibly supportive. And it has become exactly that, a double life. Flash the congressional seal in the night sky, and I’ll be there in my shirt, bowtie and clipboard.

Do they catch you printing lyrics on the office machine?
Ha no, government machines are for government business only! A lesson we’re all too familiar with because of recent events…

How'd you come up with the band name?
You’ll have to ask my parents.

Favorite song?
That would have to be a toss-up between Michael Bolton’s “I Said I Loved You (But I Lied)” and Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday.”

What's your least favorite song?
If it came out after 1975, the statistical odds are that I won't it like very much. - Huffington Post

June 2011
By Danielle Oliver

Daily BR!NK would like to introduce you to Danny Ross – a New York-based musician with a sound proportionate to his city’s size. He recently played at SXSW music festival and is rapidly gaining recognition as a self-made musician with a big future in the business. What strikes us most about Ross is not that his songs have been featured on various television shows, but that his lighthearted sense of humor and kind determination are drawing as much attention as his talent. We caught him on Skype (his first Skype experience, in fact!) last week, and were in awe of his self-taught beginnings and humble self-reflection. We found out he’s a bit of an encyclopedia of musical history (he ended the interview by discussing his newest influences – everything from Afrobeat to Beethoven), and he’s got a couple really adorable cats. Make sure to take a look at the exclusive performance Danny did for Daily BR!NK right from his Brooklyn apartment.

The first thing I wanted to clarify was the composition of the “band.” You’re identified always as Danny Ross, but I know you work with other musicians.

What I like to say is that I have a band but I’ve also got veto power. I started out in a band in high school and I quickly realized that if I was serious about making this my career and taking my musical abilities to their full potential, I’d need to be able to stand on my own two feet first. It’s like any other type of relationship; you want to know yourself and know that you can succeed on your own. Instead of working with others as a clutch or because you need them, you want to work with them because they complement you. To be honest, I’m still not at a place where I’m co-songwriting because I feel like I have so much work to do on my own – as a songwriter and composer and bandleader. I feel like I have a lot to prove, still.

What types of instrumentation do you use in your songs?

When you’re going to see one musician, you very much expect to see one dude with a guitar or piano but I have a big sound, and the great thing about having this under my name is that I get to use different variations of instrumentation. My favorite is playing the big “rock show” at places like Mercury Lounge in New York City. Taking the 9-piece band and horn section and doing a soul review kind of show. But I also could play in a more acoustic room with a string quartet and a banjo and a pedal steel.

Tell me a bit about your background in music.

Around the age of thirteen I discovered The Beatles for the first time. It just changed my world, and I said, “I want to be like Paul McCartney.” And I pretty much didn’t look back. I had no musical training, no one in my family is a musician, and so I started going down to my basement where there was a piano and I just started coming up with ideas late at night by myself, not knowing what the hell I was doing. I couldn’t play cover songs when people asked me to, because I didn’t know how! I only knew how to play my rinky-dink ideas. When I went to college, I said that I wanted to do it for real. So I started my own major at Cornell called…Popular Music Composition and Performance… [Danny flips the camera around to show me he’s reading off his diploma on the wall]

Nice!

I created my own program there because I couldn’t get into a music program because I wasn’t proficient enough in any instrument or theory. And through that program I worked with professors in jazz to learn theory and to notate for some of the instrumentation I was hearing. And I worked with a poetry professor for lyrics. And for my senior thesis, I wrote this album and performed it live with a 17-piece band and orchestra for a couple hundred people.

It’s really interesting to me how musicians have begun to market themselves, especially in terms of social media. I know you send out a newsletter that’s a bit different from what most artists do. I’m wondering how you have found your audience over the years, and maybe some advice that you would give a musician who’s a step behind you.

[thinks] I would say that marketing is…tough. Because you have to bother people. But it’s okay if you make it entertaining and not awkward. Unfortunately because of X amount of reasons, this is something that you have to do as a musician. I don’t necessarily want to do it, you don’t necessarily want to receive it, but it has to happen. So I might as well make it as entertaining and painless for you as possible.

You can totally see that in the letters you send out. Because they’re fun, and they’re light, and they talk about other things – not just the music.

Because it wouldn’t be any fun if I wrote, “Hey guys, I’m playing next Tuesday! Come see me, thanks!” But that’s what 99 percent of musicians do. I just think to myself, “If I were in your shoes, what would I want to hear?” You start to say, “Okay, well, I’m not going to be able to quit my day job tomorrow, and I’m not going to be super-famou - The Daily Brink

By Rafer Guzman

Why was Danny Ross, an as-yet-unknown musician, quoted in this paper's recent feature story about the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"?

There are a couple of reasons: One is because Ross, a young singer-pianist from Melville, has an appreciation for the vinyl era. His debut EP, "Introducing Danny Ross!" features 1960s-era typography, the double-arrow "stereo" logo and, of course, an exclamation point. Another is because his composition thesis at Cornell was a song-cycle modeled on "Sgt. Pepper's."

But "Introducing" doesn't sound only like The Beatles. The album starts with "Against the Wall," an energetic rock-pop number, then shifts into "I Can't Wait," a ballad with Ben Folds-ian piano trills. "When You're Down (And You're Out)" looks back to Cole Porter with its jazz-era melody and egg-beater snare - but it also borrows the rough guitar of The Beatles' "Oh! Darling." The bouncy "If I Were You" is a well-crafted commercial pop song, but the closer, "Madison Bound," pulls a 180, delving into sweaty soul with snazzy horn charts.

When Ross isn't banging out spiffy piano-pop, he's working as a staffer for Rep. Jerrold Nadler in Manhattan, which explains why he shows up to casual events wearing a shirt and tie. Help Ross cut loose July 28 at Pianos in Manhattan - check MySpace or dannyrossmusic.com for info. - Newsday

By Juliana Bunim

The annual Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition draws hundreds of aspiring crooners from across the country, all vying for the glory as well as a $4,000 prize and free studio time. But for Danny Ross, a self-taught pop rock pianist, the competition is part of a much greater and precisely managed plan.

And with a day job as the scheduler and operations coordinator for Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D — Borough Park, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Sea Gate, Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst) planning is something the 23-year-old can do in his sleep.

“I work until 6 pm for the Congressman, and then until 2 am on my music,” Ross told GO Brooklyn during a rare free moment. “And then it starts all over again.”
Organizing a politician’s life while trying to aggressively pursue rock stardom is no small feat. Having already graduated from Cornell, self-released an EP, “Introducing Danny Ross!,” launched a Web site and put together a press kit, Ross appreciates his small successes.
“It’s sort of like starting a business,” he said. “Management and planning are essential to achieving any big plan you have. All this effort into little goals will accumulate to big goals.”

But listen to Ross’s tunes, and you’d never believe it was the music of a self-proclaimed micromanager. His style, a jazzy mix of pop and rock, is akin to the love child of Ben Folds Five and the E Street Band.
Considering his passion for playing all started with the Fab Four, it’s no surprise his songs retain a little of that infectious sound.

“When I discovered the ‘Beatles Anthology’ at 13, I immediately dug out a dusty keyboard and said, ‘I can do this,’ ” recalled Ross.
Most 13 year olds would have traded in the piano for a PlayStation soon after, but Ross never considered it. Ten years later, he’s still banging those keys, albeit with a little more grace.

“The last few years, I’ve been trying to make up for my lack of technical ability and have taken jazz piano lessons to focus on technique,” he said. “I think it’s almost better, because I’m coming at it from the love of music, rather than a very by-the-book approach.”
For the Williamsburg Songwriter Competition on Sunday, Ross is performing a song called “When You’re Down (and You’re Out),” which he describes as “like a Cole Porter song with a Beatles-esque bit, too.”

He usually composes for a five-piece band — complete with two guitars, one bass and a drummer — or a three-piece wind section. Performing alone may be a departure, but it’s one Ross doesn’t eschew.
“As important as it is for me to be a composer and arranger and put together big pieces, it’s just as important to work on my solo skills and express my ideas through my instrument,” Ross said. “It’s definitely a change of pace, but it’s necessary.”

It’s also Ross’s first time performing in Brooklyn — something he hopes to repeat in the near future.
“I’d like to be at the level where I’m playing places like Studio B and Union Pool,” he said. “Hopefully within the next year or two, the momentum will swing, and I’ll get there.”

For now, his strategy is to continue playing gigs and building a buzz.
And what about his boss?
“[Nadler] loves it,” said Ross. “I think he’s happy to see someone who isn’t just stuck behind a desk at his office.”

The algo-rhythm:
Sometimes it seems like every guy with puppy dog eyes has a sad song to sing, so what makes Danny Ross so different? GO Brooklyn spent some time with his debut record, “Introducing Danny Ross,” and, using its golden ear, discerned exactly what makes Ross so appealing.

Take one part vintage Billy Joel, with catchy songs about girls and a piano instead of a guitar, and add. …
The charm of Bright Eyes, whose sole permanent member, Connor Oberst, has been compared to a young Bob Dylan, and mix with a pinch of. …

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. The presidential hopeful and bass player balances both rock stardom and politics. Add ’em up and you’ll get. …

“Introducing Danny Ross.”
Danny Ross will perform as part of the “Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition” at 8 pm on Nov. 4 at Union Pool (484 Union Ave. at Meeker Avenue in Williamsburg). $TBD. For information, call (718) 609-0484 or visit www.wlsc2007.com.
- Brooklyn Paper

By Greg Robson

The rigors of being a touring musician are often insurmountable and suffocating, but what Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Danny Ross strives for is truly awe-inspiring. A congressional staffer for New York-based politician Jerrold Nadler, Ross is by night, a Manhattan-based singer-songwriter, who churns out piano-fueled pop-rock. Inspired by the likes of Elvis Costello, Ryan Adams, Ben Folds and The Beatles, the 25-year-old released his full-length debut One Way in Manhattan's historic St. Mark’s Church with a 15-piece backing band, including both horns and strings. If that sounds awfully ambitious, well then, you just don’t know Danny.

While studying at Cornell, Ross flew across the Atlantic and honed his piano chops at London’s Goldsmith College, carving his way to a dual degree in the self-created Popular Music Performance and Composition as well as political science. Upon returning to the States, he penned what would become One Way, and presented the album as his senior thesis, a project that allowed him to graduate summa cum laude. And now, three years removed from college, and with a more defined vision and creative re-arrangements, One Way is released to the world. And man is it something.

From start to finish, One Way, is an incredibly enterprising listen. The album begins with the wistful lullaby, "Sleepy Dream," featuring an armful of Ross' falsetto and a chilly piano line. Wintry and woozy, it's a surprising start to a disc but is not without its charms. Ross is blessed with a captivating voice that is at times quavering and creaky and other times guttural and forceful. His impassioned croon can both be graceful and aggressive, and each of these traits are felt at various points throughout the disc.

From the cinematic sweep of album standout "Waiting on the Wheel," to the forlorn lament "Forgive Me Love," One Way has a panache and flair that is supremely self-assured, incredibly arresting and 100 percent authentic. On the pleading ballad, "Stay Here With Me," a duet with singer Joely Pittman, Ross sounds both sincere and empathetic, and anyone who has ever grappled with the demise of a romance can find some resonance in its wise-beyond-its-years tenderness.

Other album peaks include the bouncy piano zest of "Oh, Christine," and the brassy romp "And the Trumpets Sing." Ross puts away the piano on the acoustic roots of "Always On My Way," a travel vignette that seems to be inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Some musicians can flounder without their trademark instrument, but "Always On My Way," allows the singer to prove his mettle and the results are certainly worthy of praise. Returning to the piano on the frenetic bounce of "This Is Just a Test," the impassioned vocals lend themselves well to the song's triumphant chorus.


While his intentions for recreating the Wall of Sound production are worth merit, there are times it can be a bit too much. The title track is proof of this as is the stellar "Go," which draws a lot of its inspiration from Rufus Wainwright's Want albums, but then yields to a Sergeant Peppers-like swirl of sound. That musical footnote is something Ross places at the end of nearly every song. It's a nice idea, but at times it does get a bit tiring. That being said, these are all small barbs and do little to lessen the enormity of what is at work here.

Whether or not Ross quits the political day job remains to be seen, but if he chooses to, there's a welcome place for him in the annals of singer-songwriterdom. One Way is a compelling, confident and creative masterwork from one of New York City's most promising young talents.
- Absolute Punk

By John Winn

(8/10) Think Danny Ross, and you think Brooklyn (or, at the very least, lower Manhattan). Since 2006, the native New Yorker-artist-Congressional staffer has made a reputation as a virtuoso artist, part sentimental pianist part rock n’roller, recording his impressions of his corner of the City of Eight Million Stories. But unlike some of his contemporaries, this guy isn’t a generic softie. He’s just as comfortable embracing his inner Beck as much as his inner Billy Joel and it shows on One Way, an album as diverse as the five boroughs, and just as unique.

It’s easy to dismiss the album at first, more at home with vintage Rufus Wainwright or Bruce Hornsby then contemporary adult music. Bit first cuts can be deceiving, as “Country Wind” demonstrates, an out of left field alt-country single that bridges the gap between 90s alt-pop and country rock. The rock-pop-country connection is reinforced with “Always on My Way”, a tune that draws on the harmonica harmonies of Dylan, the country twang of Willie Nelson and the soulful tone of a Norah Jones. Not that he’s unwilling to embrace his pianist side- “Oh Christine” finds him channeling his inner Ben Folds, circa 1999. But as with all things Danny Ross, that’s just a portion of his talent.

While there are some sleeper tracks on this album- “Waiting on the Wheel” and “Go” jump to mind- with so many tracks to choose from, there is something for everyone. This is truly an eclectic album. This is a tour de force for any music fan.
- Racket Magazine

By Michael Tedder

In case the black-and-white album cover isn't enough of a clue, one listen to the immaculately arranged opener, "Sleepy Dream," makes it immediately clear that New York songwriter Danny Ross is a classicist to the core. But what makes his debut album One Way more than just retro pastiche is that he's several kinds of classicists at once. Sure, there's plenty of gorgeous, tears-in-your-martini-glass ballads (a touch too many, honestly), but Ross also throws in some early Randy Newman barroom stompers ("Forgive Me Love") and a Broadway-ready, army-of-horns dance number ("And The Trumpets Sing...") that can only accurately be described as snappy. I hope this album becomes a breakaway hit, because the home made YouTube dance videos for these songs have the potential to be amazing. In fact, if Ross ever gets tired of a life of constant touring and middling album sales, he'd probably kill on the Great White Way.

"Always On My Way," isn't just a lovely country-ballad, but it also feels like a Rosetta Stone that decodes the album's success. It feels like a tip of the hat to Ryan Adams, the great pop’s great classicist of our times—when he's bringing his A game, anyway. Like Adams, Ross realizes that there's no point in recreating the past note-for-note when it's more fun to smash pieces of the past together in a collage. This probably explains why so much of the album seems to have a Led Zeppelin/art-rock jones. It's there in the slow build of "Waiting On The Wheel," and the violin-soaked crescendos of "Go," and it explodes on the album's best song "This Ancient Bridge," which even has a name that sounds Zep-ish, not to mention an incendiary drum run, some Jeff Buckley-esque moans and enough guitar shredding to make you double-check that you're still listening to the same album. Luckily, even a dedicated student of music like Ross knows that fidelity to the past doesn't mean you can't have fun with your influences. - CMJ

RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Ben Folds

(3 1/2 stars) It’s one thing to say you sound different than everyone else. It’s another thing entirely to do it without trying. New York City-based singer/songwriter/pianist Danny Ross falls into the latter category, at least it seems that way on his latest, One Way. Sure, you can try to lump Ross in with the likes of Ben Folds or Sufjan Stevens, but he set out to add elements of the Who’s Tommy or Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, while also channeling his background studying jazz piano. The result is an exuberant batch of songs that may not grab you right away, but slowly do so after repeated listens, when you hear things you didn’t hear the first time around. Ross’ falsetto and unique melodies may also remind you of the late Jeff Buckley, but that’s just a point of reference because dude is clearly doing his own thing. If you like your music to have perfect structure and ear candy hooks, you won’t find much to like on here – but if you veer off the beaten path and like your music to do the same, you’re going to love Danny Ross’s music. The best tracks on this fine set are the literal opener, “Sleepy Dream;” “Stay Here with Me” and “And The Trumpets Sing” which both have melodic elements of ‘60s pop; and the driving, triumphant title track. Just do yourself a favor, and give this one a few spins with time to fully digest it. - Bullzeye.com

The last time the music of Danny Ross graced these pages with its multi-skilled employment of wide and varied instrumentation was a feature on singer-songwriters. Well, no man, regardless of musical education or raw ability, can reproduce such endeavours live without some back up. So that explains the band of eight merry men accompanying Mr. Ross as he takes the Mercury Lounge stage for the first time to date.

On record Ross achieves an eclectic blend of soulful rock songs and more emotive, stripped-bare ballads. 'Goes Electric' is the tagline for tonight's show, however, meaning that strutting rockers are the order of the day. Those being the cuts this writer took most to heart from 2009's One Way release, things are looking up right from the word go.

Initially we have new song Fault Lines to get us in the spirit, which achieves the desired effect on a crowd still trying to shake off the rigours of the work day. Cheers and dancing begin to spread, only encouraged by the immediate charge into the schmoove licks of the excellent Country Wind. Through a combination of tight playing, rich melodies, plus the odd request for audience members to take a few steps forward, the night quickly starts to come alive.

This being a landmark show for the Brooklyn-resident, Ross is likely on the way to the midsize NYC venues in the not-too-distant future. By the swinging horn opening of Oh, Christine the singer is as caught up in the mood of the song as the very character its lyrics describe. From here, the swagger of the next set highlight, Woman, replete with harmonica interludes and "Woman, I ain't your dial tone" admonishment, kicks the crowd into a higher gear.

The triple horn section receives a deserved nod next, adding verve and colour to the brief nod at ...And The Trumpets Sing and then a rousing full band version of This Is Just A Test, perhaps the song which best showcases the impressively versatile musicianship at play on One Way. By this point Ross has donned a set of shades that are either this summer's key fashion item or the cheapest he could find from a Midtown street vendor at short notice, depending on your perspective. Whatever your take, his ever-growing confidence on stage and the songs steeped in rock history successfully recall icons of the eras he is undoubtedly influenced by.

Ending his brief but entirely convincing set with memorable new track Think About Me and the aforementioned album's celebratory title track, Ross sings "I've seen changes / Turning pages / All this writing on the wall". As open-ended as one could interpret those words, it would be a pleasure to look back and view them in the context of a milestone show for Danny Ross, on the path to wider recognition. - Heavier Than Air

On one visit, getting a sense of the two Danny Rosses is easy.
There is the Danny Ross in slacks, oxford shirt and a tie, denoting his work as a staffer for Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn). But hidden underneath is the other Danny Ross, with the tousled hairdo and a pair of thick-framed glasses, which add some indie street cred, as well as a smidgen of studiousness.

Ross speaks deliberately, sometimes slowly drumming his fingertips on the table as if he is subconsciously working out piano scales to help him channel the right words.

“My whole life,” he said, “I’ve really had these dual passions: government and music.”
At night, as a musician, he often does work out piano scales during practice—alone, or with his band. But during the day, as scheduler and operations coordinator for Nadler’s two district offices in New York City, he deals with things like wrangling new copiers, coordinating interns and sending out a daily round-up of political news.

The Long Island-raised singer, songwriter and pianist likens himself to a more rock-and-roll version of the piano-heavy band Ben Folds Five. His first album, “Introducing Danny Ross!”, was celebrated with a June 30 record release show and a second gig at the Lower East Side venue Pianos on July 18.
The only way Ross has managed to pull off a full-time job, band recruitment and the execution of a debut album is by applying the same disciplined scheduling that dominates his workday to his music. In an interview before his June 30 debut, he said he was not nervous about his first live performance since college.

“I’m incredibly well prepared,” he said.
Type A?
“Yeah,” he says, stretching the word out.

Ross has been interested in music for years. At 13, he discovered the Beatles and a piano in his basement and taught himself to play. He had a band in high school. But it was not until he got to college, at Cornell, that he began to take music seriously.

“Having a great musical mind is only half the battle,” he says. “The other half is pure workmanship, pure practicing.”

About a year ago he graduated and began a job hunt, setting his sights on the music business.

“Getting a job in the music industry is really tough, even for very educated people,” he said. “It’s really about who you know.”

Then the opportunity with Nadler arose. This led to an unusual double life, which could conceivably create some conflicts. The lyrics for one song, for example, refer to getting caught making out, listening to Dylan “feeling high,” and getting banned from a Dairy Queen. Could these documented indiscretions of youth come back to haunt him should he ever run for office?
“No,” he said. “My songs are about peace, love and understanding. There’s no real profanity in my music. It’s all about those positive things. They’re rock-and-roll lyrics.”Plus, though he will not rule out running for office at some point in the future, he is currently more focused on a music career. Should he decide to step into politics later in life, he said, “people would know me as a musician anyway, so I don’t think it would be distracting.”
Sonny Bono, he agreed, might be an apt analogy.

At the office, coworkers are “incredibly supportive” of his music. Nadler chief of staff Amy Rutkin introduces Ross as a “rock star” to everyone who comes in, and when staffers from the D.C. office call and Ross picks up, they’ll ask, “Is this the Danny Ross?”

Three Nadler staffers with friends in tow came to the show, according Ross—which is about half of the entire Manhattan office.

“It was great,” he said. “Tons of energy, lots of family, friends—a lot of people I didn’t know. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my musical career in New York City.”
Nadler himself could not make it (due to a conflict, Ross said), but the show was apparently on the Congressman’s mind.

The following Monday morning, “the first thing he did was come to my desk and ask me how it went,” Ross said.

Twenty years from now, Ross said he would like to have many platinum albums behind him and be on his way to joining the “best of the best” of rock-and-roll.

His political career, he admitted, might not be quite as advanced.
“What’s 20 years from now—I’ll be 43? It might still be a little young,” he said, explaining that some Congressional hopefuls are often in their 50s or 60s with full careers behind them.

Planning weeks, let alone years, ahead is hard when you are a musician.

“In the immediate future,” he said, “I know I’ll be at Congressman Nadler’s office every day from 10 to 6.” - Manhattan Media

Danny Ross is not your typical Brooklyn musician. Drawing inspiration from bands like the Beatles and Wilco, musicians like Bob Dylan, and albums like The Who’s Tommy, Ross’ sound is worlds away from the run of the mill indie hipster music scene. And Ross likes it that way. A self-taught musician, Ross sings, plays piano and guitar, and uses a six-piece band as backup, which sometimes makes him sound Beatle-esque, and other times makes him sound just like himself.

Ross recently released his first album, Danny Ross Presents One Way, and was nice enough to give me the low down on it, and his (John) Lennon-like artistic tendencies, recently over coffee.

You self-produced One Way, which is a pretty big task. Tell me a little bit about what went into that.

I actually started making it as my college thesis in Cornell. I made up my own major there called “Popular Music, composition and performance.” So my thesis was to write and perform an album.

That’s the coolest thesis I have ever heard of.

I know right? I’m self taught, so I had no idea how to score for strings and horns and I didn’t know how to arrange for a big sound, which is what I wanted. So I worked with professors in jazz and English and poetry. I wanted my record to have all the characteristics of all my favorite records ever. I wanted to do something totally ambitious tapping into all my favorite songs but in a professional way. So, that being said, for school I wrote this thing and performed it with a seventeen-piece group and a couple hundred people came and that was my project.

Your lyrics are really autobiographical. Do you feel that this is an important element of writing?

Well, yeah I guess they are. But you know, there are singers who create characters and write stories. And I try to think about that a bit too, it may start autobiographical but then takes a life of its own. But I start with the idea that you write what you know, and I know certain feelings and I start with that. Maybe now I can start to play with form. But at the end of the day, there is something that John Lennon once said that was something like: "You know Paul McCartney always wanted to create characters, lovely Rita and Elenor Rigby but I always wanted to write about myself." And I’m kind of the same way, because I’m kind of feeling, "Well, here's what I went through, so someone else out there must have gone through it as well." But I don’t know if that’s totally self-serving. I like to try to take music out of that sacred bubble its been put in, lets bring it back down to earth, it’s a form like literature like movies, and it has a formula. Maybe albums should be categorized by non-fiction or fiction or horror.

That’s a fantastic idea.

Write that down!

Do you always bring a large band in to perform with you during your shows?

Yes, I have a minstrel show.

Really?

(Laughs) No. I have a six-piece band and they perform with me. I have been playing with the same core group of guys for the past year now but I did go through a bunch of different players to find these musicians who are the right fit. And I went through different combos of instrumentation as well. Its hard to conceive it as this big thing and then you hear it as something smaller and its not the intention. But with organs and two guitars, base and drums you do get a very full sound.

There is a very specific sound that is coming out of New York City and Brooklyn right now and you don’t sound like that at all. How do you think this is helping or hurting you in this scene?

I think that in the short term it is hurting me, because people want the sound of the day. You go to certain clubs in Williamsburg or the lower east side and you expect a certain sound. But I never cared about that at all. And I feel like a lot of bands feel that way too. I think that’s a media thing, lumping everyone into a certain category and sound, but to a certain extent its true. For me it always started with mid sixties pop music: The Beatles, Phil Spector, you know, big productions, full sounds, lots of melody and catchy melodic lines. Ultimately for me it’s always been about The Beatles.

There are certainly worse bands to mold yourself after.

Exactly. I figure you try to be the best and if that doesn’t work out and you're not the Beatles at the end of the day, that’s still not too bad. The type of musicians that inspire me and the songs that inspire me are the ones that have great curiosity and focus in on their craft and jump around from genre to genre. The Beatles, the Bob Dylans, and more recently Wilco and Ryan Adams. Learn how to write a good song in one genre and you can learn how to write a good song in any genre. They taught me about country music, and for a kid from Long Island it’s a big impact. It’s also about life perspective, life is short and you have to enjoy it. Work past the bad things and enjoy the good; have a creative positive outlook on your work.

What are your feeli - Rumbum.com

It’s not at all difficult to picture Danny Ross making his debut on Saturday Night Live circa 1978. Ross’ sophomore effort, One Way, showcases the kind of ambitious arrangements, eclectic songwriting and overall technical mastery that recalls the early work of Randy Newman and Jackson Browne. It’s as if Ross and his nine-piece band suddenly materialized like trapped vapor from the cracks in the Bleecker Street sidewalk; their particular mix of horn-driven rave-ups sprinkled with lazy, steel-driven country ballads is the kind of thing that fell out of fashion with recording budgets and cocaine. The album’s title track is a crack show-opener that would have set the Bitter End afire in the golden age of singer-songwriting, while the disc’s more contemplative moments (“Stay Here With Me” and “Forgive Me Love”) reflect a sensitivity and sentimentality originating from the heart instead of a white-noise keyboard patch. If One Way occasionally suffers from a touch of overconfidence, it is easy to forgive Ross in light of the fact that he has, most likely, already written two more albums worth of material that will easily surpass even the audacious moments here. - American Songwriter

New Yorker
January 30, 2008

As sports fans across the country are making plans to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, the more politically obsessed are considering where to hunker down and watch the returns on Super Tuesday. Here in New York City, Danny Ross, an earnest piano rocker who styles himself after Ben Folds and Bruce Springsteen and who leads a double life as a staffer for Congressman Jerrold Nadler, is hosting a party at the Bowery Poetry Club. He’ll be performing as the results are tallied. As befits a political professional, Ross is apparently skilled at getting a message across without being entirely forthright; his press release hints at a surprise guest: Rumors are swirling of an “Obama Girl” cover song that we won’t confirm nor deny. Perhaps the first-ever live performance of the You-Tube sensation? Does that mean he’s playing the song? Or that she’s performing? We report. You decide

NY Post Page Six:
February 5, 2008 -- WE HEAR THAT Danny Ross - by day a staffer for Hillary Clinton-backing Rep. Jerry Nadler, and by night a musician - plays the Bowery Poetry Club tonight with "Obama Girl" Amber Lee, of YouTube fame, who will perform "I've Got a Crush on Obama" . . . - New Yorker/ NY Post 'Page Six'

By Liz Pelly 6/2/08

When singer/songwriter Danny Ross sent an email to CMJ with a YouTube link to his newest music video, we were intrigued. Whose attention wouldn’t be grabbed by a video that portrays a crazed smiling toy doll, My Buddy, running around New York trying to find his Kid Sister? If that doesn’t do it for you, perhaps Ross’s catchy piano-pop, pristine vocals, interesting double life or killer sense of humor will.

Can you tell me about the symbolism in the “I Can’t Wait Video”? Is that you starring in the video?

Danny Ross: That is indeed me playing the role of infamous 80’s doll “My Buddy.” If you pay close enough attention, there is symbolism running throughout the piece. For example, my character represents corporate globalization in post 9/11 Manhattan. And of course “Kid Sister” is Barack Obama…No, it was just the result of a bad Halloween costume and too much time on our hands. The underlying message is that I probably have some serious repressive childhood issues that I need to work out with my psychologist.

What went into the production of the Introducing Danny Ross record? Do you plan on recording again soon?

This is our debut EP and has a real piano-pop sound that came out nicely, but I’m mostly excited for our first full-length album, One Way, which we’re recording as we speak. It’s a conceptual record of sorts taking cues from Brian Wilson, Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, Ryan Adams and Nick Drake among others. In fact, we tapped some of Sufjan’s string players for the album, which should be released this Fall.

You work by day as a staffer for a US congressman, and by night as an artist. Do the two careers seem to influence each other sometimes?

It makes life a lot easier to juggle 1,000 things as a DIY artist when you’re doing the same thing for the federal government. But the interns and I don’t answer the phones as a barbershop quartet, if that’s what you mean.
- CMJ

April 2007

Danny brings a high level of musical craftsmanship to Amie Street, where he’s been a featured artist from the beginning and where his talent is evidenced by his success. Danny impresses with his superior ability to sing, write lyrics, and create melodies that make for powerful and memorable songs. His goal: continued innovation in pop-rock music through an emphasis on songwriting and intriguing arrangements. Don’t miss Danny Ross… - Amie Street

By Emily Youssef 1/15/08
Moonlighting Musicians On How They Pay The Rent


Musicians may have the coolest night moves, but by day, many punch the clock just like everyone else. While some rockers spend their lives immersed in the music industry, working as publicists, record shop clerks, bartenders and venue owners, CMJ struck out to find those who work Average Joe-style in between living the life the rest of us worker bees only daydream about.

DANNY ROSS
Singer-songwriter Danny Ross may pound piano keys at night alongside an eight-piece backing band—a sound he describes as "Ben Folds Five meets The E Street Band"—but during the day he's in a suit and tie representing the political world. An operations coordinator for Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn), Ross handles scheduling for the 8th District Congressional Representative, along with organizing events and hiring interns. Before releasing his debut EP, Introducing Danny Ross! (self-released), the Cornell graduate double majored in politics and music, and once considered a day job in the music industry while working as an intern for Verve Records and Universal Music Group. While no one in his family is politically or musically active, Ross sees the two as related entities. "I think they both involve emotion and morality," says Ross. "But politics is sort of the emotion, passion, morality played out in practical form, whereas music is more obscure. It hits you different." Though he prefers to keep the two separate, he credits the 10-6 grind with keeping his musical life more organized. Ross keeps a detailed schedule that includes putting together press kits, meeting with other artists and even logging time with his patient girlfriend. So what does the Congressman think of his musical leanings? "It's worked out fine because the people I work with are totally cool and very supportive." It seems the self-described political junkie has found a happy medium, at least for now. "I'm lucky in that my day job isn't just a day job. It's something I love," Ross said. "After a successful music career, I wouldn't rule out a career in politics."
- CMJ