Chris Daniels & the Kings (now with Freddi Gowdy) are celebrating their 36th year with live ‘fireside chats” from Chris on Facebook during “safe at home” and as things open up - out playing songs from BLUES WITH HORNS - our 15th Kings album and out second with Freddi Gowdy of the Freddi Henchi band. In December 2019 Freddi joined Chris and an inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame!!
Doing more than 120 dates per year touring over two continents, Daniels and his band have been invited to appear in such diverse places as The Down Home Blues Festival in South Carolina, The Bob Hope Chrysler Desert Classic, The Curacao Swing Festival (South America), and all over Europe. Chris was inducted into the COLORADO MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2013 with Judy Collins and he has appeared with the Garth Brooks, B.B. King, Vince, Gill, Amy Grant, Joe Walsh, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Oates, The Luminieers, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, and the list goes on.
The band has also headlined on major international festivals, including Ribs & Blues Festival in The Netherlands, at Marktrock, Berchem Blues, and the Lokeren festivals in Belgium. The Kings have also served as the back up band for Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Johnnyswim, Sonny Landreth, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bo Diddly, members of Little Feat, and Was Not Was at the Roxy in LA to name a few.
Die hard fans from Italy to Holland rocked with this remarkable artist who has appeared on major TV channels across the world, including HDnet all High definition TV, VH-1, TNN, Much Music/Canada, Nippon TV/Japan, Crooked River Grove, KUSA, and on Onhe Filter, AVRO, KAVRO, Paris MTV, and Brussles 1 in Europe, and on Swing TV in Buenos Ares, Argentina.
The Kings Are:
Chris Daniels, rhythm guitar, vocals
Fred Gowdy, vocals
Colin “Bones” Jones, lead guitar
Randy Amen, drums, vocals
Kevin “Bro” Lege, bass, vocals
Darryl “Doody” Abrahamson, trumpet, vocals
Jim Waddell, alto, tenor sax, flute, vocals
History and Bio:
Chris Daniels: is not related to Charlie or Jack or Bill — though often asked that question. Starting as a 17 year old songwriter and guitarist back in the 70s when he played with David Johansen, (before the New York Dolls) and later with Russell Smith (after The Rhythm Aces), Chris has preformed thousands of shows, touring with his current band Chris Daniels & the Kings for 33 years. He has worked making records and performing with some of the most respected musicians in the business including Sonny Landreth, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bill Payne, and Don Was to name only a few. He was the founder of the Telluride After Hours Jam playing that festival on and off for ten years beginning in 1975. For the past 4 years he's served as the festival MC.
Professor: Chris Daniels is an Assistant Professor at the College of Arts & Media, University of Colorado Denver campus. He began teaching songwriting and guitar at Arapahoe Community College in 2001. In 2007 he was awarded the “Adjunct Professor of The Year” award from that college. That same year Chris was given the honor of a position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Denver teaching music business.
Awards: Chris Daniels was inducted into the COLORADO MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2013 with the likes of Judy Collins, John Denver, Joe Walsh, and Poco. He was a Grammy co-nominee for his writing and performance with Al Jarreau, Hubert Laws and Dee Dee Bridgewater on Jumpin Jazz Kids, plus numerous Westword Music Awards, album awards and critiques awards. He's also received awards for excellence in teaching.
Survivor: In 2010 Chris was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and given a less than 25% chance of survival for 5 years. As he says, "Every day is a gift!"
Guitarist and band leader: Chris has served as musical director with his band when the Kings backed Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, John Oats, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Johnnyswim, Joe Walsh, Michael Murphy, Amy Grant, Richie Furay, Randy Owen (Alabama), Francine Reed, The Coaster, Drifters, Platters, Bo Diddly, Was Not Was, Mary Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Percy Sledge, solo members of Little Feat, Sam Bush, John Cowan and many others.
Singer: Chris has been featured on commercials all across the US and Canada for McDonalds, Ford, Coors Beer, Village Inn and many more.
Songwriter: He’s worked with Gary Nicholson, Al Kooper and Bill Payne to name only a few. His songs have appeared on albums by Hazel Miller, Tom Wassinger and David Bromberg to name only a few.
Record Producer: He’s known for several CDs including the award winning Hazel Miller recording, “ICONS”, featuring standards and guests like famed trumpeter Ron Miles, Andy Sydow's "Reasons For Departure", and Magic Music's soundtrack release for the documentary film called "Everything is Floating" scheduled for release in 2018 and produced by Lee Aronhson from The Big Bang Theory.
Music for TV: Chris has had his recordings used for everything from regional TV broadcasts, the Friday morning news theme for NBC Channel 9 News to national shows like “men In Tress” on the ABC television network.
Executive Director: Chris served as the head of the world’s second largest folk music school and concert organization, Swallow Hill Music Association for 5 years during which time the organization won both the Governor’s Award and the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Chris & the Kings played their first show on March 14, 1984. Chris has toured Europe 21 times and they've played in the States from South Carolina to Seattle, New York City to LA. The seven piece band, called “funky-blues” by the Europeans, is an all out “horn band” celebrating great horn-driven blues, R&B, funk, and rock n’ roll. They have been compared to Little Feat, “John Hiatt meets Tower of Power” and “Keb Mo with horns.”
Daniels' 15th CD “Blues With Horns” is a collaboration of new songs and some of the best horn-drenched classics from the likes of Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Bobby Blue Bland to name only a few,
Starting in 1991, six years after their first show, the got a record deal from Provogue Records the band made a name for themselves touring Europe: playing for the Queen of Holland at the 50th Year VE Day Celebration and at Europe’s famous Parkpop Rock Festival for 450,000. They have headlined festivals from the Mediterranean to the North Sea. They have had number one records on Holland’s number one rock show, “Countdown Café” and had front-page success with cover articles in De Telegraph and De Standard in Amsterdam and Brussels.
RECORDINGS:
They are planning the release of their newest work - "33 & 1/3" for summer 2017.
Their current USA CD and vinyl LP, called “Funky To The Bone” came out in 2015 to critical acclaim including a 4-star review in Downbeat.
Discography: 2017 BLUES WITH HORNS coming out September 15, 2017
• Funky To The Bone CD & Kings w Freddi GowdyMoon Voyage/CPD 2015
• Reunion, Rebecca Folsom 2014
• In Good Company, Megan Burt 2013
• Better Days, Chris Daniels - CIMS 2012
• Jumpin Jazz Kids w/Al Jarreau,, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Hubert Laws, Chris Daniels & more – nominated for a Grammy Award 55th Grammy’s 2013
• Grandfather’s Christmas, Chris Daniels & Friends 2012
• Blue Range, by Ernie Martinez (guest artist) 2011
•• We’ll Meet Again Chris Daniels BMaster – Moon Voyage/Zpack Holland 2009
• Stealin’ The Covers – Moon Voyage/Burnside 2007
• 10 Chris Daniels & The Kings – Moon Voyage/The Orchard 2006
• Icons, Hazel Miller (Producer) 2005
• The Spark, Chris Daniels & Friends – Moon Voyage/ The Orchard 2004
• Choice Cuts, Best of Chris Daniels & the Kings – K-Tel Records 2000
• Jazz Joint Jump, Children's CD 1999
• Louie Louie, Chris Daniels & the Kings – Moon Voyage/BMG 1997
• Jazz In The Jungle, Children's CD 1996
• After the War, Tim Irvan 1996
• Live Wired, Chris Daniels & the Kings – Flat Canyon Records 1995
• Many Moons, Tom & Susan Wassinger 1994
• Truest Heart, Nelson Rangell 1994
• Birth of Dreams, Steve Haun 1994
• Is My Love Enough, Chris Daniels & the Kings – Sky Ranch/Virgin/Rounder 1994
• Jason Eklund, Jason Eklund 1993
• In Your Face, Chris Daniels & the Kings – Provogue/Rounder 1992
• The Blues II, Chris Daniels & the Kings 1991
• Perfectly Human, Mark Sloniker 1991
• That's What Like About the South, CD & Kings – Provogue Records 1990
• Sideman Serenade, David Bromberg – Rounder Records
• Cool Saturdays, Tom Wiggins 1989
• Cities Sampler, Various Artists 1989
• When you’re Cool, Chris Daniels & the Kings – Moon Voyage/Navarre 1987
• Has Anyone Seen My Keys, CD & Kings – Harmony Records 1985
TOURING:
Chris Daniels & the Kings with Freddi play 100+ dates per year everywhere from The Down Home Blues Festival in South Carolina to festivals in Belgium and all over Europe. They have toured over two continents and have been asked to appear in such diverse places as The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, South America, Curacao, Japan, and all over Europe. Chris has appeared with the B.B. King, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, Delbert McClinton, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Al Kooper, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, The Fixx, to name only a few. They are headliners on international festivals, like Ribs & Blues Festival with their buddies THE B-MASTERS, at Marktrock, Berchem Blues, and the Lokeren festivals in Belgium, and the Kings have toured as the back up band for Sonny Landreth, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bo Diddly, Francine Reed and Dutch guitarist Jan Rijbroek in places like Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam, and with Bonnie Raitt and members of Little Feat and Was Not Was at the Roxey in LA to name only a few they have worked with in the States and Europe. Die hard fans from Italy to Holland rocked with this remarkable artist on TV shows including a groundbreaking high-definition TV show for HDnet, the all high definition TV network, plus shows for the ABC and NBC network affiliates, radio shows like NPR affiliates (Colorado Matters) and Dutch national radio TROS 3 Live, plus VH-1, TNN, Much Music/Canada, NIppon TV/Japan, Crooked River Grove, and in Europe on Onhe Filter, AVRO, KAVRO, Paris MTV, and Brussles 1, and on Swing TV in Buenos Ares, Argentina and in 2008 on the Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network.