Discography - as best as i can recall
Danny is a developing bean at Pike high school - indianapolis, indiana. He is a talented and gifted child
The Project - Cain, Marquis, Rowe (2002)
available via limited edition handmade CD only. This trio actually rehearsed during a study hall in the midst of the school day. It was pretty great. "The Project" is our seminal performance at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. It was adjudicated by one of my heroes, Indianapolis drummer Kenny Phelps. Kenny became one of my heroes when he came to my elementary school and gave an inspiring convocation on chasing one's dreams. He did so while playing the drums, and doing so in a very entertaining way. I was hooked.
Kenny gave our intrepid trio some very useful pointers there in the Artsgarden, but overall said he loved The Project aka Staring into the Sun, Eyes Closed. Thankfully, my oldest friend, longtime co-creative artist and videographer Ian Gunn, recorded the performance.
deciding to follow his dreams, danny enrolls in music school at Capital university - columbus, ohio. He quickly learns he is not the only talented and gifted child. He gets busy practicing furiously.
Heroes and Legends – Boston Brass with the Capital University Symphonic Winds - (recorded 2005, released 2007)
released on Summitt Records & available via streaming. I play in the percussion section. I actually got a terrible bloody nose during the tracking session, and had to use whatever was available to stop the bleeding. What was available was the towel that one puts on a flat music stand in order to make a stick tray. I think I still have that blood stained towel somewhere, or at least I did for a good long while. I like to think we used that take – must've had some extra something to it.
all this practicing is making danny a sad mad boy. too much work and not enough play. He joins a heavy rock band to help with the stress.
better you than me - pororoca(2006)
this band, lead by my roommate at the time, Matt Brown, has gone on to become Dead Parade. The lineup has changed over the years, and I played many shows with Matt and bassist Nick Guthrie. Surprisingly, this recording is the only song for which I am the studio drummer. I'm not entirely sure it was ever officially released, so it may be lost to time, you'll have to check wth Matt (link to his website)
SCHOOL IS OVER AND THERE IS MUCH REJOICING!
aLSO A GOOD BIT OF FALLING APART… THIS CALLS FOR AN ADVENTURE
lET'S MOVE TO OREGON
Chervona wine - chervona (2008)
I fell in with a street band of mostly Russian heritage. A fun loving gang of entertainers and misfits. Similar to Pororoca, we played many many shows together, but this track is the only one I officially recorded with them. Apparently the movie in which it was featured, Messiah Complex, is available on Amazon. The music video can be found on YouTube
the new urban decay (2008)
there's probably a CD or two knocking around somewhere, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore. Isn't that interesting, so many songs, so much living experience just fades away over time. Even the things we make a concerted effort to record onto a physical medium specifically designed to endure. Perhaps one day, some descendant of a fan or family member of the band will find it in the attic and hit play.
Gosh, that was a very interesting way to say “OUT OF PRINT”
as the adventure winds its way to a happy and successful completion, the prodigal son returns. picking up the pieces that had fallen apart, he moves out from behind the drums and positions himself behind the piano instead.
lift up your voice sing along (2009)
My old buddy Neil Cain -- remember he created “The Project” back in high school -- he helped me produce a collection of songs I'd written on piano. My musicianship was evolving, slowly but surely. This album has some rookie mistakes, but it has heart, and “Fake Accent,” a tribute song to Chervona, remains a fan favorite. Available on our grassroots label Pattern Hungry Records
Continuing the work with pattern hungry records,
danny gets the opportunity to drum for a song by paris brewer & neil cain
void - paris & Neil -- alabaster, quartz, and crystalline dreams (recorded 2009, released 2012)
Neil and I were busy running an open mic, starting a few bands, and continuing our work adding to the Pattern Hungry catalogue. Paris Brewer was simply a huge talent, and Neil got a few songs written and tracked with him back in 2009 or so. We brought “Void” into the studio, and beefed it up with drums and bass. I still listen to Void regularly, and miss our friend Paris dearly.
Not stopping his participation in larger ensembles, danny becomes the principal percussionist of the indiana wind symphony
wilhelm tell galop - indiana wind symphony (2010)
you really should just watch the video. Ian Gunn got the footie, I did the editing. To date, by far my most watched video.
A fortuitous night out at the mousetrap reunites danny with
Kerry Gant and Justin Lahr, two old drumming buddies from Pike.
He ends up buying a vibraphone and joining a band with them
bread and butter crew (2011)
I'm not so sure that this recording ever was released officially. It features two drummers, bass, guitar, trumpet, alto sax, and vibraphone. I also added some keyboard work. The BBC was a band's band, and they do occasionally still resurrect from time to time. If you are interested in hearing some instrumental funk, contact me, and I'll send you the files, in the form that I have them at least. High energy and with a variety of influences in funk, experimental, rock, and fusion, Bread and Butter Crew was a good time
in an effort to keep the fellowship from capital together, engineer and friend james frederick initaties the long distance collaboration project willie nelson mandela.
Weightless ep - Willie nelson mandela (2011)
I contributed much to the conceptual work of this album, but I end up only the lyricist and melody writer for one song. You can hear it here
the peasants ep - willie nelson mandela (recorded 2012 released 2014)
I actually got to play drums on this one. I drove my kit out to Petersburg, Virginia, where James was living at the time. He arranged to rent out a local theater, and we set up the drums and recording gear and got some really darn decent live drums recorded. Check out the Peasants EP here
and so it was when Danny endeavored into one of the projects of which he is most fond
It was a sort of super group fusing pattern hungry with another local indy label
Audio Recon
concrete seeds - echomaker (2011) RE-mastered (2024)
this album was on bandcamp only, along with the now ultra rare packaged CDs. But we decided to remaster and release it to streaming, so you can hear it on your streaming service of choice now.
Recorded mostly at our studio in Fountain Square. Studio 303 in the Murphy Building was our rehearsal space, and a built in venue when we opened the door for First Fridays. Matching the thought provoking flow of rapper Cory Salas with a live band spanning rock, hip hop, and jazz stylings, Concrete Seeds was our EP release.
echomaker (2012)
released to streaming in 2023, this full length album spans the gamut. Recorded at Queensize Studios by Andy Fry, this feels to me like a timeless album. Hear for yourself at your streaming service of choice, or check the playlist on YouTube
at this point, danny begins what is now referred to as the 'kelsie hiatus.'
Danny married kelsie, and they had their daughter tillie in 2016
They then divorced in 2018
youtube releases 2020 (2021)
the Covid-19 pandemic was a quite unique time to say the least. As I retreated to my quarters to ride it out, songs simply began to pour out of me. With nothing better to do, I started orchestrating them on all the instruments I had at my disposal at home. I recorded videos of my efforts along the way, which became the centerpiece of my fledgling YouTube channel.
This album is now available on all streaming services, but the original vision was released on my YouTube page.
morning glory - steve smith & conga J (2022)
available on all streaming services. I distinctly remember a sunny and unseasonably warm day in February of 2021. We were beginning to think the pandemic might be ending. I got together with my buddies Steve and Conga J, and we jammed in Steve's driveway. We didn't feel safe being inside together, but we did in fact want to be together! This friendship had been going for about a decade, and we've played in a variety of lineups and jam sessions together over the years. I was happy to contribute to their 2022 release. Search it out on your streamer of choice, or check the YouTube playlist
songs from the imagi-nation (2022)
many people died during the pandemic. Well, many people die all the time, but a seemingly unusually large number of people were dieing during the pandemic. One of them was my Uncle Jack. Uncle Jack left me a modest but sizable inheritance, along with many of his siblings and their children. Jack was a modest guy, lived simply, and had no children or spouses. He managed to pass down a meaningfully significant amount of money to I believe 17 members of his family. Quite a testament to an amazing guy. I also lost my Uncle Pete, and my Uncle Bob. And another Bob - Bob Roeder, that was like another uncle. I lost a lot of good and influential men during the pandemic dang it.
Anyway, this inheritance from Jack enabled me to do something which I'd wanted to do since I started writing songs. Go into a professional studio, hire whatever instruments I wanted, and orchestrate and record my original songs. I enlisted my old buddy Neil Cain as producer, and we set about the work, which took most of 2021.
I'm really proud of this work. Songs from the Imagi-Nation is on bandcamp, but it is also streaming, and I'm even playing some of it on the homepage of this website currently. There are videos on my YouTube page too.
having gotten the taste of fully orchestrated songs,
danny set out to start a band
the healer session - danny & da vitos (2023)
I distinctly remember talking with my mix engineer for Songs from the Imagi-Nation, Andy Beargie. Andy asked me if I was gonna play any of these songs out somewhere live. I had no means to bring the force of the studio to a live room. I wanted a band! So I set about bringing it to life, and The Healer Session is a live audio/video tracking of 6 of the first songs we learned together. It's streaming, and here's the YouTube playlist
turning of the world - danny & da vitos (2024)
Unfortunately, this A side B side single project became part of a long trend for groups that I've been in. To go into the studio, like the proper studio with an engineer and what not, is to unravel. It happened to Bread & Butter Crew, it happened to Echomaker, and now, it happened to Dannny & da Vitos. The only time it didn't happen was with Songs from the Imagi-Nation, because there was no band to unravel. It did strain my relationship with one of my oldest buddies though. I'm happy to say we have since recovered.
Anyway, The last thing Danny & da Vitos did together was record these two songs. Available on streaming services and linked here - Turning of the World & Iterate
make us feel human - danny & da vitos (2024)
No sooner had I said that Danny & da Vitos unraveled than we re-raveled once more. Well, sorta. I was able to put a couple more studio quality tracks together with the help of my long time long distance collaborator, Anton Van Oosbree. He dubbed himself Nito Vito, and my mix engineer, Scott Kern - who I've worked with for a similarly long period - dubbed himself Jimmy “The Ears” Vito, and Danny had da Vitos once again. Well, sorta. I really like the work we produced, you can stream it anywhere, or follow these links - Make Us Feel Human & Earthling
SOUNDING OFF TO SAVE THE WORLD - DANNY & DA VITOS (2025)
Nito Vito and I have built up enough of a catalogue of songs that we've helped each other produce over a period of years. We decide we ought to put out a collection and go about building album lore, which can be found at dannyanddavitos.com
Sounding Off to Save the World can be found on most streaming services. Jimmy “The Ears” once again contributed as mastering engineer.
honorable mentions
musicians, musical groups, and institutions that have had a formative influence but are not included in the discography